Politics & Government

Lance Armstrong Reportedly Confesses to Oprah: What Should Happen Next?

Lance Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles for taking performance enhancing drugs. He continued, however, to protest his innocence. He is now reportedly confessing that he did, in fact, dope in order to win.

Several media outlets are quoting an AP source that claims seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has now confessed to Oprah Winfrey that he did in fact take performance enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France. 

Oprah confirmed the confession in an appearance on CBS News Tuesday morning.

"I'm sitting here now because it's already been confirmed," she said.

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Armstrong was stripped of all his titles last year despite vehemently protesting his innocence all the way through. If Armstrong did indeed admit to doping in his interview with Oprah, that admission will stand in stark contradiction to the statement he tweeted just prior to losing last year: 

I have been notified that USADA, an organization largely funded by taxpayer dollars but governed only by self-written rules, intends to again dredge up discredited allegations dating back more than 16 years to prevent me from competing as a triathlete and try and strip me of the seven Tour de France victories I earned. These are the very same charges and the same witnesses that the Justice Department chose not to pursue after a two-year investigation. These charges are baseless, motivated by spite and advanced through testimony bought and paid for by promises of anonymity and immunity. Although USADA alleges a wide-ranging conspiracy extended over more than 16 years, I am the only athlete it has chosen to charge. USADA’s malice, its methods, its star-chamber practices, and its decision to punish first and adjudicate later all are at odds with our ideals of fairness and fair play.

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I have never doped, and, unlike many of my accusers, I have competed as an endurance athlete for 25 years with no spike in performance, passed more than 500 drug tests and never failed one. That USADA ignores this fundamental distinction and charges me instead of the admitted dopers says far more about USADA, its lack of fairness and this vendetta than it does about my guilt or innocence.

Armstrong enjoyed widespread public support prior to losing his titles, in part because of his battle against cancer and his charitable efforts with LIVESTRONG

Armstrong's interview will air in two parts, at 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday on the Oprah Winfrey Network and on Oprah.com, according to a press release.

So if he has indeed now admitted that all that was a lie and he did in fact participate in doping, what do you think should happen to him? Should he face perjury charges and should he refund prize money and endorsement payments?

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