Lance Armstrong – Return to Triathlon?
Armstrong finally admitted that he lied and that he used performance-enhancing drugs.
There was a mixed reaction in Triathlon as reported in NY Times.
In Texas, WFAA called it a ‘tragedy and a teachable moment’.
Tim O’Donnell, Pro-triathlete who won the Ironman 70.3 in Texas in April, said that Lance’s participation was definitely positive in bringing more attention to the sport, even though Lance finished 7th. “The bottom line for most professional athletes is that the triathlon is a clean sport, and we want to keep it that way,” he said. “The cycling community has a tainted reputation, and at the end of the day, we don’t want to go down that road.”
But according to the Wall Street Journal, one of Lance Armstrong's goals is “to lay the groundwork for USADA to consider allowing him to compete in elite triathlons.”
We are not sure we want to see him in Triathlon.
On November 10th, after he was stripped of the titles, Lance posted a picture on Twitter saying “Back in Austin and just layin’ around” with his 7 Yellow Jerseys surrounding him.
This hit a nerve, particularly given Lance's roots in Dallas Triathlon. Athletes in Dallas area work hard, train hard and treat each other with respect. In fact, most are friends and supporters, with some good rivalry sprinkled in. We don’t want cheaters and liars in our sport, especially if they are disrespectful and obnoxious.
Lance Armstrong wants to return to Triathlon, but Triathlon doesn't necessarily want him.
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