Capitol 10,000: What’s next for annual running event?
Lance Armstrong is back racing, but this time he’ll be competing against middleaged swimmers.
Armstrong, who was stripped of his biggest cycling achievements last year because of doping charges, will compete at the Masters South Central Zone Swimming Championships this weekend. The meet will be hosted by Longhorn Aquatics at the Jamail Texas Swim Center.
U.S. Masters Swimming isn’t under the drug-testing umbrella of the U.S. AntiDoping Agency, which gave Armstrong a lifetime ban from competition and stripped him of his seven Tour de France titles last August. Armstrong confessed to using drugs and performance-enhancing methods in January during an
interview with television personality Oprah Winfrey, but he declined to cooperate with USADA’s investigation.
When he confessed to Winfrey, Armstrong expressed his desire to race again. If he had cooperated with USADA, there was a chance his lifetime ban could have been whittled to eight years. By then, he’d be almost 50.
In masters swimming, he’ll be racing against those his own age.
Rob Butcher, executive director of masters swimming, told the AmericanStatesman that no one has filed a grievance objecting to Armstrong competing in the organization’s races.
“The purpose of our organization is to encourage adults to swim,” Butcher said.
The organization has members from age 18 to 104. Masters swimming does not drug-test its competitors. There is a code of conduct the swimmers must follow, but it pertains to behavior within the sport.
Armstrong, 41, has entered the meet’s three longest races — the 500, 1,000- and 1,650-yard freestyles. He’s seeded second in the 1,000 freestyle and third in both the 500 and 1,650. The top seed in the 1,650 — swimming’s mile — is 50-yearold Bobby Patten, whose qualifying time of 17 minutes, 45 seconds is 15 seconds faster than Armstrong’s.
Neither Armstrong nor his representatives could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Armstrong began his competitive life as a swimmer near Dallas before he began participating in triathlons, then focuing on cycling. Before his lifetime ban from all sanctioned sports, Armstrong had gone back to competing in triathlons, but he’s no longer allowed to race in those events.
Local triathlete Jamie Cleveland, who is set to swim against Armstrong this weekend, wishes the disgraced cyclist would drop out. He expressed his dissatisfaction on his Facebook page and then in an interview with the Statesman.
“This whole masters swimming is him trying to sidestep his punishment,” said Cleveland, who owns Hill Country Running and Texas Ironman MultiSport Coaching.
“I’ve been an endurance athlete all my life,” Cleveland said. “I’ve taken great joy in discovering my limits; I’ve taken great joy in challenging my limits. It really irks me that (Armstrong) has admitted to doping and he’s shown no remorse.”