Cyclist Tyler Hamilton, who has accused Lance Armstrong of taking performance-enhancing drugs while they were teammates for the U.S. Postal Service cycling team, handed over his 2004 Olympic gold medal to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.
According to a person close to Mr. Hamilton, the cyclist admits doping during his career but denies doing so during the 2004 Olympics. Mr. Hamilton's lawyer, Chris Manderson, said Mr. Hamilton gave the medal to the USADA because he didn't want any controversy about it to distract from his recent public confession about doping or his accusations about Mr. Armstrong.Mr. Hamilton, who rode with the U.S. Postal Service team from 1995 to 2001, admitted to doping during a television interview with CBS's "60 Minutes." He also said he saw Mr. Armstrong inject EPO, a banned drug that boosts the number of red blood cells, more than once.
A lawyer for Mr. Armstrong said he denies the allegations. Mr. Armstrong, 39 years old, won the Tour de France from 1999-2005. He retired earlier this year.
USADA confirmed that it has Mr. Hamilton's gold medal from the Athens Olympics and said it "will continue to work with the [International Olympic Committee] and the [United States Olympic Committee] as appropriate concerning the final implications of our overall investigation."
The IOC said it has taken note of Mr. Hamilton's confession and will consider the implications. The IOC can retroactively strip Olympic medals from athletes if proof of doping emerges later, or if an athlete admits cheating.
Former U.S. track athlete Marion Jones had to return five medals from the 2000 Olympics after she admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.
Mr. Hamilton delivered the medal to the USADA last week, his lawyer said. The cyclist, who recently turned 40, saw his career derailed at its peak following two positive tests, once for a blood transfusion and again for a banned substance.
After he won a gold medal in the individual time trial at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, a routine blood test showed evidence of a banned blood transfusion. Mr. Hamilton denied at the time that he had doped. A follow-up test could not be conducted because laboratory workers accidentally froze his backup blood sample. Mr. Hamilton was allowed to keep his medal.
Later in 2004, during the Tour of Spain, Mr. Hamilton tested positive for a blood transfusion. He was officially sanctioned and suspended from racing for two years. Mr. Hamilton denied receiving a transfusion and appealed the ruling to the USADA, which ruled against him. He then appealed that ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which also upheld the original findings.
Mr. Hamilton's statements come almost a year after The Wall Street Journal disclosed that cyclist Floyd Landis had sent a series of emails to cycling officials and sponsors claiming that he and Mr. Armstrong allegedly participated in doping. Mr. Landis's 2006 Tour de France victory was nullified after a positive doping test.
The allegations by Mr. Landis triggered a federal investigation into doping in professional cycling.
A lawyer for Mr. Armstrong said he denies the allegations. Mr. Armstrong, 39 years old, won the Tour de France from 1999-2005. He retired earlier this year.
USADA confirmed that it has Mr. Hamilton's gold medal from the Athens Olympics and said it "will continue to work with the [International Olympic Committee] and the [United States Olympic Committee] as appropriate concerning the final implications of our overall investigation."
Former U.S. track athlete Marion Jones had to return five medals from the 2000 Olympics after she admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.
Mr. Hamilton delivered the medal to the USADA last week, his lawyer said. The cyclist, who recently turned 40, saw his career derailed at its peak following two positive tests, once for a blood transfusion and again for a banned substance.
After he won a gold medal in the individual time trial at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, a routine blood test showed evidence of a banned blood transfusion. Mr. Hamilton denied at the time that he had doped. A follow-up test could not be conducted because laboratory workers accidentally froze his backup blood sample. Mr. Hamilton was allowed to keep his medal.
Later in 2004, during the Tour of Spain, Mr. Hamilton tested positive for a blood transfusion. He was officially sanctioned and suspended from racing for two years. Mr. Hamilton denied receiving a transfusion and appealed the ruling to the USADA, which ruled against him. He then appealed that ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which also upheld the original findings.
Mr. Hamilton's statements come almost a year after The Wall Street Journal disclosed that cyclist Floyd Landis had sent a series of emails to cycling officials and sponsors claiming that he and Mr. Armstrong allegedly participated in doping. Mr. Landis's 2006 Tour de France victory was nullified after a positive doping test.
The allegations by Mr. Landis triggered a federal investigation into doping in professional cycling.
