IOC strips Lance Armstrong’s Olympic medal

By HOLLY WILLIAMS
Published on 18/01/2013 00:00

Disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his Olympic bronze medal, hours before his expected public admission of cheating to talk-show host Oprah Winfrey was to be broadcast.

Armstrong, 41, once a sporting hero having won seven Tour de France titles and beaten cancer, has had all his results declared void after the International Cycling Union (UCI), cycling’s world governing body, found him guilty of systematic doping.

The US rider had 21 days to appeal against the UCI’s decision and, once it was confirmed he had not done so, the International Olympic Committee took action, removing the bronze he won at the 2000 Sydney Games.

Britain’s Olympic silver medallist Lizzie Armitstead tweeted: “What LA has done to the sport of cycling is unforgivable.”