Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte thinks the current controversy surrounding famed cyclist Lance Armstrong is a sad time in sports history, Celebuzz is reporting. The seven-time Tour de France winner isn’t contesting the USADA doping charges against him, and Lochte said it would be awful for Armstrong to go through that if he’s innocent.
Lochte also said that he doesn’t “have first-hand knowledge of all the facts in the situation (and) I don’t like making assumptions based on what the media reports.” While the swimmer won’t comment whether or not he thinks Armstrong is innocent, he added that “none of us will know, so ultimately none of us should judge. There’s always two sides to the story.”
Armstrong’s doping controversy reminds Lochte of the long-standing issue in competitive sports. The swimmer said he feels that there should be “zero tolerance for anything that artificially enhances performance. But it should not take years after seven wins for this to be so heavily investigated.”
But Lochte thinks the controversy won’t ruin Armstrong’s philanthropic efforts. “His focus is now on the Lance Armstrong Foundation, (which) I heard has raised nearly $500 million,” the swimmer said.
While Lochte said he won’t pass judgment on Armstrong for no longer fighting the doping charges, the cyclist’s future remains uncertain. There’s question over whether the USADA has any authority over his case Such international agencies as the International Cycling Union may give their thoughts before Armstrong may be stripped of his titles.
Written by: Karen Benardello
