So much has been
speculated and written about the Oprah’s interview with Lance Armstrong (LA)
since a week before the interview. I
watched both parts of the interview; first part on YouTube and second part live
on Oprah’s website. Before I go on to
describe my feelings about LA’s confession, I would like to put it on record
that I always admired LA to the extent that I was in awe of him. Only other athlete that comes close to him, in
my opinion, is Michael Phelps, the great swimmer. For me LA’s story was one of the most incredible
and motivational stories ever. I found him
always in control of the situation in all his interviews and with each title my
respect and admiration for him kept increasing.
Here came the
interview which lots of people were waiting for. I was disappointed with the confessions (even
though I was expected it) and was angered by the reasons he provided. During the last so many years he has been
vehemently denying and opposing the doping charges and today he accepted the
charges saying that he used the drugs to create ‘level playing field’. I find the excuse very lame. Can a poor person resort to ransom to create
level playing field with rich? Can a
person with no kids kill other’s kids to create a level playing field? LA cannot justify his wrong doings like
this.
He said that his
personal trait of ‘winning at all cost’ made him go for organized doping
programme. My question to him would he, in
his pursuit to win at all costs, even kill somebody. He knew all along that doping was not
approved and it was illegal to be used in professional cycling. Still he went ahead with professional doping
programme and went after all the people who dared to speak against him.
Now that he got
cornered due to the USADA investigation, he comes out in open and goes for an
interview with Oprah. What was he
thinking!!! That he will say sorry and
people will forgive him. He was The Armstorng,
an inspiration for not only cancer patients but for most of the people, including
me. He made us believe that anything is
possible if one has a will to achieve. What
do I do now! The person I looked up to in
awe has turned out to be a big CHEAT. He
mentioned that it was a perfect story for so long. I would like to remind him
that there was no story. It was a
perfect con job for so long.
He said nobody
could have won seven Tour de France titles without doping and he was the person
who, in first place, made people believe that one can actually win seven tours
if you have talent. Every human being,
who aspires to reach new heights in life, has an idol in life. LA was the hero for so many people and he has
let each and every one down. He is a big
DISGRACE to the sporting fraternity. He
claimed that doping was prevalent in his generation and he just did it because
everybody was doing it. This makes him a
weak person who is unable to recognize the difference between right and wrong. His comment “it is like checking air in tires
and water in bottle” sends a chill down my spine. So much institutionalization of a wrongdoing makes
him, in my opinion, a cold blooded cheat.
He claimed that his
lifetime ban is unfair as others have got lesser punishment. I feel that he has forgotten that others were
not suing people left right and center for doping accusations. He committed the same crime with more
aggression and also told bigger lies every time. And
not to forget that he was rewarded handsomely by sponsors, fans, etc. because
of his “achievement” (even if you can call them so).
I can appreciate
him only for his determination to come out, just like Hansie Cronje of South
Africa, in open (although it was forced).
I hope he co-operates with USADA and WADA to iron out inefficiencies in
the system. Even though he has
apologized, I feel it is not enough.
Yes, he has all
the right to live and move on in his life but I don’t want him to be known for
his achievement but for the cheat he has been throughout his life.
As a last
thought, I, for the sake of humanity and inspiration, hope that nothing comes
out against Michael Phelps and Michael Schumacher.
