Adam Venner writes for the University of Westminster’s Westminster News Online on the USPS doping scandal:
“Two things scare me. The first is getting hurt. But that’s not nearly as scary as the second, which is losing.” In light of the revelations surrounding Lance Armstrong in recent weeks, these words from him now possess almost frightening denotations.
They depict a man who would do anything to distance himself from the possibility of failing. Indeed, the disclosures from the U.S Anti-Doping Agency’s report on 10th October prove exactly that: a U.S Postal Service team driven by a system of cheating, lying and bullying, with Armstrong as its key beneficiary, enjoyed years of success. Yes, Mr. Armstrong, it wasn’t ever about the bike was it?
The reaction has been diverse, with many outright disbelieving that such a sporting icon and cancer-defying peoples’ champion, is no longer just the unfair target of a witch-hunt that spans back to his first Tour de France victory in 1999. What is immediately clear though, is that the secure and substantial case that USADA has presented is sure to defeat those who previously rebuffed by simply denying it. A charge sheet that consists of the use, possession, trafficking and administration of: erythropoietin (EPO), testosterone and/or corticosteroids as well as other performance-enhancing methods and equipment, puts Armstrong at the centre of “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen”, states the report.
Perhaps what is most disturbing though, is that Armstrong wasn’t a naïve, helpless champion caught up amidst this corruption. Sworn confirmations from former team-mates (Christian Vande Velde, Michael Barry and Dave Zabriskie etc.) and extracts from USADA’s report, reveal Armstrong as the advocato and enforcer…
Full article here.
Lance Armstrong: from hero to villain
“Two things scare me. The first is getting hurt. But that’s not nearly as scary as the second, which is losing.” In light of the revelations surrounding Lance Armstrong in recent weeks, these words from him now possess almost frightening denotations.
They depict a man who would do anything to distance himself from the possibility of failing. Indeed, the disclosures from the U.S Anti-Doping Agency’s report on 10th October prove exactly that: a U.S Postal Service team driven by a system of cheating, lying and bullying, with Armstrong as its key beneficiary, enjoyed years of success. Yes, Mr. Armstrong, it wasn’t ever about the bike was it?
The reaction has been diverse, with many outright disbelieving that such a sporting icon and cancer-defying peoples’ champion, is no longer just the unfair target of a witch-hunt that spans back to his first Tour de France victory in 1999. What is immediately clear though, is that the secure and substantial case that USADA has presented is sure to defeat those who previously rebuffed by simply denying it. A charge sheet that consists of the use, possession, trafficking and administration of: erythropoietin (EPO), testosterone and/or corticosteroids as well as other performance-enhancing methods and equipment, puts Armstrong at the centre of “the most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen”, states the report.
Perhaps what is most disturbing though, is that Armstrong wasn’t a naïve, helpless champion caught up amidst this corruption. Sworn confirmations from former team-mates (Christian Vande Velde, Michael Barry and Dave Zabriskie etc.) and extracts from USADA’s report, reveal Armstrong as the advocato and enforcer…
Full article here.
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About the author
Deputy Editor. Beckie is a final-year Japanese student at the University of Leeds. She is Editor-in-Chief of Lippy: No Gloss and Features Editor of Leeds Student.