Drugs cheat Lance Armstrong is accused of blatant hypocrisy on social media after questioning the 'fairness of trans athletes in sport' after he was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping
- Lance Armstrong announced a new series around transgender athletes in sportĀ
- The former cyclist's suitability to discuss issues of fairness was mocked onlineĀ
- Armstrong was famously stripped of Tour de France titles for doping offencesĀ
Lance Armstrong has been accused of blatant hypocrisy after questioning the fairness of trans athletes in sport, despite infamously having been stripped of seven Tour de France titles for doping.
The American announced on social media that he was launching a series which will 'dive into' issues around transgender athletes competing in sport.
Armstrong claimed he was 'uniquely positioned' to discuss issues where people were concerned about being 'cancelled', an apparent reference to having been made a pariah in cycling over his doping offences.
The 51-year-old said he will explore how people can be supporting of the transgender community, while investigating issues around the fairness of trans athletes competing in sport.
'Have we really come to a time and place where spirited debate is not only frowned upon, but feared? Where people's greatest concern is being fired, shamed or cancelled? As someone all too familiar with this phenomenon, I feel I'm uniquely positioned to have these conversations,' Armstrong wrote on Twitter.
Lance Armstrong, right, announced a series looking at fairness of transgender athletes in sport
The former cyclist has been accused of hypocrisy after being stripped of Tour de France titles
Armstrong admitted to doping in 2013 after being sanctioned for doping the previous year
'Of all the controversial and polarizing subjects out there today, I'm not sure there are any as heated as the topic of Trans athletes in sport.
'Is there not a world in which one can be supportive of the transgender community and curious about the fairness of Trans athletes in sport yet not be labeled a transphobe or a bigot as we ask questions? Do we yet know the answers? And do we even want to know the answers?
'I do. Hence these conversationsā¦ a special series of The Forward, beginning Monday, where I dive into this issue with an open mind in an attempt learn as much as possible from all sides of the debate.
'I truly hope you enjoy this series. And I hope that for those who have been reluctant to have this conversation, this somehow feels safe. Be fearless.'
Armstrong's suitability to lead a discussion on fairness in sport was mocked on social media, with the American having been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles.
His consecutive victories in the famous race from 1999-2005 where stripped in 2012, following aĀ U.S. Anti-Doping Agency report.
USADA said Armstrong had led 'the most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping programme that sport has ever seen' within his U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel teams.
Armstrong confessed to doping in 2013, admitting the offences in a televised interview.Ā
Armstrong's suitability to lead a discussion on fairness in sport was mocked on social media
'If I was a retired athlete who had been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles and banned for life from cycling for using performance enhancing drugs, I'd probably sit out any conversation about 'fairness in sport',' one reply said.Ā
Another wrote 'If there's one person I won't be listening to about the principle of fairness in sport it's Lance Armstrong'.
'Lance Armstrong talking about fairness in sport? How many honest cyclists did you push out of a promising career by cheating?,' a third tweet read.Ā
'Biggest sporting cheat of my lifetime asks whether trans people should be banned for 'fairness'. Lol. Lmao,' another responded.
Armstrong's tweets had followed the former cyclist posting a video previewing an interview with Caitlyn Jenner, who famously won a gold medal in the men's decathlon at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal as Bruce.
Jenner has previously spoken in favour of restrictions on transgender athletes in sporting competitions.
The fairness of transgender athletes competing in sporting competitions has provoked a fierce debate, with sports governing bodies facing calls to strengthen their rules.
World Athletics, UK Athletics, World Aquatics, and British Triathlon have all introduced rules blocking transgender women from elite female categories, while opening up their men's categories.
British Cycling's recently followed suit by banning transgender women from racing in female competition while making theĀ men's category 'open'.
Set to come into effect at the end of 2023, the policy decision will apply to all competitive activity, and will put pressure on the sport's international federation, the UCI, to firm up their own rules around the controversial subject.Ā
Mail Sport has approached Lance Armstrong for comment.Ā
