EMOTIONAL ARMSTRONG HOPES TO COMPETE AGAIN
NEW YORK— Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong says he received the sporting equivalent of the “death penalty” for using performanceenhancing drugs and lying about it, but he hopes his lifetime ban will one day be overturned so that he can compete again.
In the second and final part of a televised interview with U.S. talk show host Oprah Winfrey broadcast on Friday, Armstrong conceded he deserved to be punished for years of doping that helped him win arecord seven Tour de France titles.
But Armstrong said the penalty he was given by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) was much harsher than the sanctions dished out to other self-confessed cheats, who were given lesser sentences for tes- tifying against him. The 41-year-old said he had no ambitions to return to professional cycling, but wanted to be able to compete in sanctioned events like the Chicago marathon. “With this penalty, this punishment, I made my bed,” he said. “Would I love to run the Chicago marathon when I am 50? I would love to do that but I can’t.” Struggling at times to control his emotions, Armstrong admitted he was ashamed of what he had done and that he felt remorse. “I saw my son (Luke) defending me and saying, ‘That’s not true’ . . . that’s when I knew I had to tell him. He never asked me, ‘Dad is this true?’ He trusts me,” Armstrong said. “I told Luke, ‘Don’t defend me anymore . . . if anyone says anything to you, do not defend, just say, hey my dad said he was sorry.’ ” Armstrong said he lost about $75 million (U.S.) when his sponsors deserted him last year.