Swimmer Ryan Lochte suspended until July 2019 for use of IV

Ryan Lochte posted a photo for the world to see, and the US AntiDoping Agency noticed. It got him suspended - again. The longtime US swimming star has been banned from competition until July 2019, which means the 12-time Olympic medallist cannot compete as planned in the national championships that start this week in California. Lochte will also be ineligible for other top meets, including the Pan Pacific Championships later this year and next year’s world championships.

Lochte’s offence was that he got an intravenous injection in May a method typically banned under anti-doping rules. The 14-month ban, retroactive to May 24 and announced yesterday by USADA, is his second in less than two years following his 10-month suspension for his behaviour during a drunken incident that created widespread scorn at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.

US anti-doping officials said Lochte was not taking a banned substance.

In Brazil, there were questions about his version of what happened.

This time, he revealed what happened - obviously unaware of the ramifications it would bring.

Lochte’s violation essentially came to light when he posted the photo of him getting the IV on his social media accounts. That triggered the USADA investigation, one that Lochte “fully cooperated” with according to US officials.

This week could have been a significant step forward for Lochte, who was entered in four events at the US championships at Irvine, California and was preparing to compete in what would have been his biggest competition since the Rio Games. Lochte said that he and three other US Olympic swimmers there were robbed at gunpoint at a gas station, a story that quickly unraveled.

Lochte was not only suspended 10 months for that debacle, but also forfeited $100,000 in Olympic medal bonus money and was banned from competing in last year’s national and world championships.

But the bigger hit was to his reputation, one that was less than pristine to begin with.

And now, he’s back in hot water. USADA agreed to start the 14-month clock on May 24, the day that he posted the photo which no longer can be found on his Twitter or Instagram pages. He has previously said that he wants to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, though those hopes would seem to be in at least some doubt now.