Reaction from the running world to Lance Armstrong's admission he used performance-enhancing drugs:
Lauren Fleshman, two-time U.S. 5000 meters champion, posted an open letter to Armstrong , urging him to retire from sport. Some excerpts:
"To you, the most important thing in sports is winning. But the central tenet of being a professional athlete is not winning; it is fair play. In your warped world, everyone is a cheater, but in reality, 99% of us are doing it right. A commitment to fair play is THE defining element of the profession."
"I do not wish for you to go to hell, or live a miserable life…I simply want you, along with all the other cheaters, to find a new profession so that mine continues to mean something."
Mark Coogan, 1996 Olympian and current Dartmouth coach:
"Wow! I think Lance is a sociopath. I think he is another guy who stinks/cheats that needed to cheat to win. Really upsets me when guys like Todd Williams and Bob Kennedy do not have medals."
Matt Tegenkamp, American record-holder in the 2-mile and two-time Olympian:
"My hope is the anti-doping agencies gain a lot of useful insight which leads to new/better/efficient testing which leads to cheats being caught in a more timely manner."
Dick Patrick, longtime track and field journalist:
"Relieved that Oprah did a better job questioning Lance than she did with Marion Jones several years ago. Good that Lance acknowledged the doping and bullying though his sincerity in apologizing is questionable. It would have been better if he were more candid about why he’s suddenly contrite and honest. Please be frank about wanting to compete in triathlons and marathons."
Todd Williams, 1992 and 1996 10,000-meter Olympian:
"There would've been no Lance Armstrong, Livestrong or anything else if he didn't choose to cheat. He should've apologized to all the "fans," friends, former teammates and competitors he embarrassed and stole from, and admitted he profited millions he would've never had if it wasn't for cheating. That interview to me was just a way for him to try to keep his name in lights and somehow seem like the victim in this whole story....the majority will see right through it.
At the end of the day Lance hopefully saved lives and may continue to save more with the money he raised for awareness....even though some will say dirty money!
As a former Olympic athlete, I think it stinks because Lance just raised the bar in the public's eye that most if not all world-class athletes are using performance-enhancing drugs. All the hard-working clean ones will be looked at as cheaters even though the doing it the clean way....thanks Lance, appreciate it."
Travis T. Tygart, CEO of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, issued this statement:
“Tonight, Lance Armstrong finally acknowledged that his cycling career was built on a powerful combination of doping and deceit. His admission that he doped throughout his career is a small step in the right direction. But if he is sincere in his desire to correct his past mistakes, he will testify under oath about the full extent of his doping activities.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency also issued a statement:
"WADA was interested to listen to Lance Armstrong’s doping confession to a TV talk show host, but wishes to state once again that it makes no difference to his status as a life-time banned athlete under the World Anti-Doping Code. If Mr. Armstrong truly wants to make amends for his doping past, then he needs to make a full confession under oath to the relevant anti-doping authorities. He must make a sworn statement that reveals the full truth and contains information that will assist the fight against doping in sport."
From Twitter:
Paula Radcliffe, marathon world record-holder (@paulajradcliffe):
So apparently it is ok to call someone crazy, a bitch, try to ruin them and rip their life apart - as long as you didn't call them fat!
Lukas Verzbicas, world junior triathlon champion (@LukasVerzbicas):
Like who actually has Oprah Winfrey Network to watch Lance confess?? Guess I'm stuck watching @LAClippers destroy @MNTimberwolves
I hope Lance is alive when someone proves that it's humanly possible to win 7 tours being clean
Phil Hersh, Chicago Tribune Olympics reporter (@olyphil):
Lance: "I view Michele Ferrari as a good man and a smart man. I still do. " Wow
Bobby Curtis, second-fastest American 10-K runner of 2011 (@BobbbyCurtis):
instead of "we've all made mistakes" I'd prefer "we've all lied incessantly and ruined many lives over the last decade"
Lindsey Gallo, 4:28 miler (@runlinz):
Didn't we all learn as children that "everybody's doing it" is a poor excuse for bad behavior??
Nick Symmonds, two-time 800-meter Olympian (@NickSymmonds):
Lance Armstrong is going to feel better after appearing on Oprah. She's going to give him performance-enhancing hugs.
Maybe now when Lance looks up the word "cheat" in a dictionary he will see a picture of himself. ZING!
Yeah that's probably enough of Lance for one night. Some of us will actually get up early and put in the hard, honest work. #CleanSport
More on Lance Armstrong:
--Road Racing Future Remains Uncertain
--From Bicycling: What Lance Did and Didn't Say
Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including Running Is My Therapy, Advanced Marathoning, and Meb for Mortals. Scott has also written about running for Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
