Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte was suspended 19 months for an anti-doping violation, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Monday.
Lochte, who alerted USADA officials to the violation by posting a photo on social media of himself getting fluids through an IV, will be suspended until July 2019. The suspension is retroactive to May 24.
While the USADA said the substance Lochte used when receiving the IV was not on the banned substances list, it is a violation for an athlete to receive an IV unless they are hospitalized or exempted by USADA.
Lochte, 33, was neither exempted by the USADA nor hospitalized during the time of his IV use, but “fully cooperated” with the investigation, according to USADA officials.
The 12-time Olympic medalist is expected to hold a press conference Monday in South Florida to address the suspension.
This is the second suspension for the former Florida Gator in the past two years after Lochte was suspended 10 months for his involvement in a drunken incident at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
As a result of the suspension, Lochte will not compete in the national championships this week in California, the Pan Pacific Championships or the 2019 world championships.
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