Armstrong’s Olympic medal under scrutiny

Committee to look at American’s achievement in 2000 Sydney Games.

BERLIN: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will investigate Lance Armstrong’s 2000 Olympics bronze medal after the American was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles in the biggest doping scandal to hit the sport.

“The IOC will now immediately start the process concerning the involvement of Lance Armstrong, other riders and particularly their entourages with respect to the Olympic Games and their future involvement with the Games,” said an IOC official.

Armstrong, who won a time-trial medal at the Sydney Games, was stripped of his 1999-2005 Tour victories last month when the International Cycling Union (UCI) ratified a US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) decision to erase his results from August, 1998.

A USADA report that included testimony from several former teammates against him and themselves, called it the ‘most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen’.

Apart from stripping Armstrong’s titles, the UCI also said it was setting up an independent commission to investigate allegations made against the UCI over the Armstrong affair.

“The IOC has taken note of the UCI’s decision and welcomes all measures that will shed light on the full extent of this episode and allow the sport to reform and to move forward,” the IOC official said.

“We await the findings of the independent commission which will look into the UCI’s role, and the recommendations they will make to ensure a healthy future for cycling.”

Armstrong, who overcame cancer to dominate the sport, has always denied doping and maintains he never failed a drugs test.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2012.