Is nobody talking about Lance Armstrong?

Cheerful Dave wrote (see)

GTC wrote (see)

...

To be honest, I am more ashamed that dwayne chambers got to represent UK at the olympics. 

A fair point, but as far as I know Dwaine Chambers never threatened, bullied or coerced anyone into hiding his doping, nor did he make money by suing those who published stories about his drug taking.  What Armstrong did to the Andreus, Walsh, Kimmage and many others is what sets him apart for me.

My main problem with Dwaine Chambers is that he got so far on his own merits and then decided to take drugs. This action deprived other athletes, who were at the same level as a pre-drugs Chambers, of the chance to the funding and opportunities that Chambers received as a result of his cheating. Not only did he cheat the public and himself but he also cheated his fellow athletes out of medals and the trappings that winning brings and then we see a "clean" Chambers at the British Olympics and a massive part of him getting there was down to the gains he received because of his drug use.

True, and I'm not suggesting Chambers is an angel: it's been said that he still gets benefits from his drug taking in terms of his improved physique.  Similar arguments could be made about any doper though: they all deprive other athletes of winnings, sponsorship etc.  What their bans should be and whether they should be allowed back to the Olympics is a whole different debate and we'd probably be in agreement, but Chambers was caught and banned - Armstrong managed to evade all that through lies, intimidation and bribes - a lifetime ban now is meaningless.

Chambers shouldn't have been allowed to represent Britain, and nor should Christina Ohuruogu.  She didn't actually get caught doping - she avoided that by missing three tests.

Unfortunatetly, the desire for medals outweighs the desire for clean sport among the selecters.

Dave The Ex- Spartan wrote (see)

That was Tuesday, By yesterday the IOC had already dismissed the idea

thanks for the clarification, 

Lance Armstrong Bingo

(If any of you get Discovery and can be arsed getting up at 2am)

sky+, im gonna watch it tomorrow morning whilst im on the turbo trainer

definitely a psychopath

Nah!

Hitchcock made a feature film about a psychopath.

Can't see anyone doing one about an arsehole.

his answers sounded scripted and censored, i dont think he came over very well at all.

Lance is a sociopath not a psychopath.

If he was looking for sympathy he miscalculated badly. Quite obviously LA isn't remorseful about what he did, he regards it as levelling the playing field! A cheat and a bully, what a sorry excuse for a human being.

GTC wrote (see)

We should be grateful he is not a politician!

...yet...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=GNNFGTVbMnM#t=125s

(useless poxy runners world website wont accept the youtube player grrrrr!)

LouiseG wrote (see)

GTC wrote (see)

We should be grateful he is not a politician!

...yet...

If, as some have predicted, his Mea Culpa propels him to Governer of Texas then he'll join other respected holders of that office such as ...errrrmm... George W. Bush 

No no no, this is all a calculated attempt to get back into being allowed to race again. I seriously hope he doesn't succeed. Obviously he or more likely his clever lawyers have discovered the clause that says if a drug cheat actively participates in providing assistance to the USADA any sentence that was previously pronounced may be reduced or rescinded. That's what he's trying to do. Don't let him back! Worse still from my point of view - don't allow him into triathlon at any price!

I've watched the interviews through twice... interesting. What strikes me is the lack of remorse. It looks liek he justifies himself by the ' just fighting back' answers, but it was a missed opportunity to come clean. If anything his attempts to skip around the big issues damns him further.

Good point about Vinokourov in the olympic roadrace tho'..

Still lying about 2009 / 10 though.  Claims not to have cheated then, but his biological passport says differently.

I dislike Lance and what he has done but surely any penalty he receeves must be consistent with other drugs cheats.

Agreed, LouiseG, I simply don't believe him.