Not flawed but fraud, claims WADA chief
Source: Agencies |
January 19, 2013, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
LANCE Armstrong's explanation that he used performance-enhancing drugs to create "a level playing field" in cycling has been described by the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency as "a convenient way of justifying what he did - a fraud."
WADA President John Fahey said that Armstrong's assertion in the Oprah Winfrey television program that he wasn't cheating when he took part in doping through his seven Tour de France wins "gives him no credibility."
Armstrong told Winfrey he "looked up the definition of cheat ... and the definition is to gain an advantage on a rival or foe. I didn't view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field."
Fahey said that excuse was not plausible. "He was wrong, he cheated and there was no excuse for what he did," Fahey said. "If he was looking for redemption, he didn't succeed in getting that."
Fahey branded the confession a "controlled public relations" stunt that revealed nothing new. "There's nothing new from my point of view," he said. "All he did was affirm what the US Anti-Doping Agency had put out in a very substantial and irrefutable judgement some months ago - that this man had taken all sorts of substances for performance purposes."
The International Olympic Committee said confession of years of systematic doping marked a sad day for sport and the former rider should provide evidence to end "this dark episode."
"There can be no place for doping in sport and the IOC unreservedly condemns the actions of Lance Armstrong and all those who seek an unfair advantage against their fellow competitors by taking drugs," the IOC said. "This is indeed a very sad day for sport but there is a positive side if these revelations can begin to draw a line under previous practices."
Fahey said: "My feeling after watching the interview is that he indicated that he probably would not have gotten caught if he hadn't returned to the sport. He didn't name names, he didn't say who supplied him, what officials were involved."
Winfrey got right to the point when the interview began, asking for yes-or-no answers to five questions.
Did Armstrong take banned substances? "Yes."
Did that include the blood-booster EPO? "Yes."
Did he do blood doping and use transfusions? "Yes."
Did he use testosterone, cortisone and human growth hormone? "Yes."
Did he take banned substances or blood dope in all his Tour wins? "Yes."
Definition of cheat
Wearing a blue blazer and open-neck shirt, Armstrong was direct and matter-of-fact, neither pained nor defensive. He looked straight ahead. There were no tears and very few laughs.
"I'm a flawed character," he said.
Did it feel wrong? "No ... Scary."
"Did you feel bad about it?" Winfrey pressed him. "No ... Even scarier."
"Did you feel in any way that you were cheating?" "No ... Scariest."
"I went and looked up the definition of cheat," he added a moment later. "And the definition is to gain an advantage on a rival or foe. I didn't view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field."
"I made my decisions. They're my mistake ... I view this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times."
In his climb to the top, Armstrong cast aside teammates who questioned his tactics and tried to silence anyone who said otherwise. Ruthless and rich enough to settle any score, no place seemed beyond his reach - courtrooms, the court of public opinion, even along the roads of his sport's most prestigious race. That relentless pursuit was one of the things that Armstrong said he regretted most.
"I deserve this," he said twice. "It's a major flaw, and it's a guy who expected to get whatever he wanted and to control every outcome. And it's inexcusable. And when I say there are people who will hear this and never forgive me, I understand that. I do. ... That defiance, that attitude, that arrogance, you cannot deny it."
WADA President John Fahey said that Armstrong's assertion in the Oprah Winfrey television program that he wasn't cheating when he took part in doping through his seven Tour de France wins "gives him no credibility."
Armstrong told Winfrey he "looked up the definition of cheat ... and the definition is to gain an advantage on a rival or foe. I didn't view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field."
Fahey said that excuse was not plausible. "He was wrong, he cheated and there was no excuse for what he did," Fahey said. "If he was looking for redemption, he didn't succeed in getting that."
Fahey branded the confession a "controlled public relations" stunt that revealed nothing new. "There's nothing new from my point of view," he said. "All he did was affirm what the US Anti-Doping Agency had put out in a very substantial and irrefutable judgement some months ago - that this man had taken all sorts of substances for performance purposes."
The International Olympic Committee said confession of years of systematic doping marked a sad day for sport and the former rider should provide evidence to end "this dark episode."
"There can be no place for doping in sport and the IOC unreservedly condemns the actions of Lance Armstrong and all those who seek an unfair advantage against their fellow competitors by taking drugs," the IOC said. "This is indeed a very sad day for sport but there is a positive side if these revelations can begin to draw a line under previous practices."
Fahey said: "My feeling after watching the interview is that he indicated that he probably would not have gotten caught if he hadn't returned to the sport. He didn't name names, he didn't say who supplied him, what officials were involved."
Winfrey got right to the point when the interview began, asking for yes-or-no answers to five questions.
Did Armstrong take banned substances? "Yes."
Did that include the blood-booster EPO? "Yes."
Did he do blood doping and use transfusions? "Yes."
Did he use testosterone, cortisone and human growth hormone? "Yes."
Did he take banned substances or blood dope in all his Tour wins? "Yes."
Definition of cheat
Wearing a blue blazer and open-neck shirt, Armstrong was direct and matter-of-fact, neither pained nor defensive. He looked straight ahead. There were no tears and very few laughs.
"I'm a flawed character," he said.
Did it feel wrong? "No ... Scary."
"Did you feel bad about it?" Winfrey pressed him. "No ... Even scarier."
"Did you feel in any way that you were cheating?" "No ... Scariest."
"I went and looked up the definition of cheat," he added a moment later. "And the definition is to gain an advantage on a rival or foe. I didn't view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field."
"I made my decisions. They're my mistake ... I view this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times."
In his climb to the top, Armstrong cast aside teammates who questioned his tactics and tried to silence anyone who said otherwise. Ruthless and rich enough to settle any score, no place seemed beyond his reach - courtrooms, the court of public opinion, even along the roads of his sport's most prestigious race. That relentless pursuit was one of the things that Armstrong said he regretted most.
"I deserve this," he said twice. "It's a major flaw, and it's a guy who expected to get whatever he wanted and to control every outcome. And it's inexcusable. And when I say there are people who will hear this and never forgive me, I understand that. I do. ... That defiance, that attitude, that arrogance, you cannot deny it."
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
