Lance Armstrong’s Olympic medal back in the hands of the IOC

Lance Armstrong

Tainted American cyclist Lance Armstrong’s Olympic medal is finally back in the hands of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), reports TOI. Armstrong had won bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was told by the IOC to return his medal after his admission to doping at the beginning of this year in January.

Despite the IOC’s insistence, Armstrong had held on to the medal longer than was expected and handed it back to the US Olympic Committee (USOC) only about two weeks ago.

The IOC, through its spokesman Mark Adams, confirmed that the world body had indeed received the medal from the USOC put it into safekeeping in its headquarters in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Adams told Associated Press, “Yes, we have it. It is in the vaults.”

Adams also went on to add that the return of the medal brought about “the end of a sad chapter for the sport”.

Just like how the organisers of the Tour de France had said that none of Armstrong’s titles would be reallocated to any other cyclist, the IOC towed the same line and insisted that no other cyclist would receive Armstrong’s bronze.

Armstrong was also stripped of his seven Tour de France titles which he won between 1999 and 2005, post his admission to widespread doping.