Armstrong Loses Yet Another Honor

Sources say his Olympic medal is gone, Oprah interview looms
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 17, 2013 7:21 AM CST
Updated Jan 17, 2013 7:45 AM CST
Armstrong Loses Yet Another Honor
In this Monday, Jan. 14, 2013 photo provided by Harpo Studios Inc., cyclist Lance Armstrong listens to a question from Oprah Winfrey.   (AP Photo/Courtesy of Harpo Studios, Inc., George Burns)

Tonight's the big night for Lance Armstrong, whose Oprah confession airs at 9pm ET. But it's also shaping up to be a big morning, and not in the most pleasant of ways. Armstrong's mantel looks to be one award lighter, reports the AP, which spoke to sources that say the IOC has stripped the cyclist of the bronze medal he won at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. The IOC reportedly sent him a letter last night requesting its return, after the 21 days Armstrong had to appeal his stripped Tour de France wins expired. (Oh, and cycling could get axed altogether from the Olympics, thanks, in part, to Armstrong.) In other news:

  • The interviews about the interview continue. Armstrong yesterday spoke with the AP about it via text, addressing rumors that he was "not contrite" when speaking with Oprah. "I left it all on the table with her and when it airs the people can decide," he said, adding this maudlin statement: "I have no idea what the future holds other than me holding my kids."
  • Debating whether you want to tune in? Does the idea of tears make it a more intriguing proposition? A source tells the New York Times Armstrong "teared up and cried" during the interview. And—melodrama alert—the same source said the stories Armstrong shares are like "a classic Shakespearean tale."
  • His tale won't likely include an invite to this year's big-deal Tour de France, which will be the 100th occasion of the ride. The AP reports that all riders who have finished a Tour de France have been invited for the final day, but when asked if Armstrong would receive an invite, the race director said, "That seems to me to be out of place now."
Gloomy side note: Armstrong may have forever ruined the movie Dodgeball. (More Lance Armstrong stories.)

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