US Olympic swimmer Dwyer suspended 20 months for doping

US swimmer Conor Dwyer, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has been suspended 20 months for doping after an arbitration panel found he had testosterone pellets implanted in his body, the US Anti-Doping Agency said.

USADA had sought a four-year ban after Dwyer tested positive in out-of-competition tests collected on November 15, November 27 and December 20 of 2018.

But an independent three-member panel of the American Arbitration Association ruled a 20-month suspension was appropriate in light of the fact that Dwyer relied on outside medical advice when he allowed the treatment, in which the pellets are inserted under the skin near the hip.

According the arbitrators, Dwyer "thought of it more as a treatment relating to his mental health, and unrelated to his physical performance in sport, in the way it was presented to him."
"The Panel notes that Respondent did inquire, as was his duty. He was credible in his testimony that he believed what he was told."