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A17
Tuesday 24 July 2018

Swimmer

Ryan Lochte BRYCE CUT

suspended

until July

2019 for

use of IV

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)
— Ryan Lochte posted a
photo for the world to see,
and the U.S. Anti-Doping
Agency noticed.
It got him suspended —
again.
The longtime U.S. swimming
star has been banned from
competition until July 2019,
which means the 12-time
Olympic medalist cannot
compete as planned in
the national champion-
ships that start this week in
California. Lochte will also
be ineligible for other top
meets, including the Pan
Pacific Championships lat-
er this year and next year's
world championships.
"This is devastating," Lochte
said.
He did not take a banned
substance. But he got an
intravenous injection of
vitamins in May — and
since it exceeded 100 mil-
liliters, no matter what was
involved, he broke anti-
doping rules. The 14-month
ban, retroactive to May 24
and announced Monday
by USADA, is his second in
less than two years follow-
ing his 10-month suspen-
sion for his behavior during
a drunken incident that
created widespread scorn
at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro
Olympics . "A rule is a rule
and I accept that there is a
technical violation," Lochte
said. "I am hopeful other
athletes will learn from my
mistake and be mindful of Harper homers, Nationals outlast Braves, rain in 6-2 win
this rule, as well as others."
Lochte said he took the IV
because both his wife and
his son were ill and had
recently visited hospitals, Washington Nationals' Bryce Harper reacts after he struck out in the third inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves,
and that he didn’t want to Sunday, July 22, 2018, in Washington.
get sick as well. Associated Press
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