Many of the winners of the Tour during Lance's time were using EPO. That does not make it right nor does it excuse Lance's behavior but it was the hand he was dealt, he had to use EPO or have no chance of winning.
Doping was ubiquitous among Tour riders. He remains one of the greatest athletes on the planet. I for one am disappointed that he will not be allowed to swim.
Are all humans benefited equally by EPO or any other PED?
Please. We cannot assess his legacy independent of drug use.
I'm at the meet & was surprised that Rob Butcher was there. What a nice guy.
He explained that USMS is connected to FINA & subject to WADA guidelines. So Lance is ineligible.
I was contacted by NY times reporter who saw I was in the 1000 close to Lance's entry time & requested an interview.
I didn't speak to her.
I wish that lance could be allowed to compete like many of the others who testified against him.
It's just masters, who cares.
If we have a say with FINA, I wish we could also influence them to ditch the FINA age rule & go with something more fair, like you have to actually be that age to compete in an age group.
Lance should have been more low key & entered as Ed Armstrong. I heard Once some triathletes & swimmers found out he entered, they launched a flurry of emails to FINA to get them to move against him.
Now for the ultimate thread killer. I feel like using the "yeah, but everyone else was cheating too..." argument is tantamount to "Hitler did lots of good things for Germany." Let's face facts here. Armstrong's cheating, lying and bullying was almost an art form and the man deserves nothing but derision for that. Yet I still don't see why that should disqualify him from competing in masters swimming.
He explained that USMS is connected to FINA & subject to WADA guidelines. So Lance is ineligible.
Did you ask him to explain why he didn't know this information, or if it's not really so black-and-white why he hadn't ascertained both FINA's and USMS's positions about it, before he gave interviews to the press saying how welcome Lance was?
Are all humans benefited equally by EPO or any other PED?
Please. We cannot assess his legacy independent of drug use.
Agreed, his doping did not "level the playing field" it just tilted it differently.
I think Armstrong was/is an amazing athlete -- as were Barry Bonds, Marion Jones, etc -- and it is unfortunate that we'll never know how good he would have been in a drug-free environment. This is not all his fault by any means, though the things he did to cover up his cheating were not very pleasant to read about.
I'm in the "let him swim" camp too and I think what he's admitted to doing rises to probably the most horrific of all sports cheating scandals. "Say it ain't so Lance" It's not so much that I think he should have the right to swim, but b/c I would like to race him! Doping or not, he is still an amazing athlete. Competing in masters is all for personal reward, not monetary. Success isn't defined by TT finishes or WR's, but by an individual's personal definition.
I could give two figs about his personality. I don't see anywhere in the rule book that you have to be "nice" to compete. I don't have to like or respect him to swim against him.
I think it's a huge missed opportunity for USMS but I understand reasons behind the decision.
I'm at the meet & was surprised that Rob Butcher was there. What a nice guy.
He explained that USMS is connected to FINA & subject to WADA guidelines. So Lance is ineligible.
I was contacted by NY times reporter who saw I was in the 1000 close to Lance's entry time & requested an interview.
I didn't speak to her.
I wish that lance could be allowed to compete like many of the others who testified against him.
It's just masters, who cares.
If we have a say with FINA, I wish we could also influence them to ditch the FINA age rule & go with something more fair, like you have to actually be that age to compete in an age group.
Lance should have been more low key & entered as Ed Armstrong. I heard Once some triathletes & swimmers found out he entered, they launched a flurry of emails to FINA to get them to move against him...
If the NY Times reporter was Karen Crause, you should talk to her. She's a former swimmer from USC whose first piece of writing as a 13 year old inspired Mike Bruner to make the Olympic team in the 200 Fly.
That's funny Chris! Sunruh, that's what I meant when I wrote that there are some organizations that USMS should not emulate. Somantaro, I think traditionally FINA might ban the people who swam in the meet with Lance, but not all USMS swimmers from FINA meets.
How can you call an outright cheater one of the "greatest athletes on the planet?"
If doping is within the acceptable culture of training and competition amongst cyclists they should make it legal. I'm sick of this double-play of the rules and I'm sick of them. Lance Armstrong is a rich man based on lying and cheating; that will always be a LOSER in my eyes. If he is remorseful he should give ALL the money to the Livestrong charity.
