Armstrong fires back
Lance Armstrong has asked a federal judge to dismiss a $120 million whistleblower lawsuit that lists him among a group who defrauded the U.S. Postal Service, his former team’s sponsor.
The suit was filed in 2010 by Floyd Landis, a teammate of Armstrong’s from 2002 to 2004. It alleged that Armstrong and his fellow USPS riders defrauded the government by receiving sponsorship money with the understanding that they would race without aid from drugs.
However, in Armstrong’s 25-page rebuke of the allegations, he said the Postal Service should have been aware that he was doping. Though the disgraced former cyclist strenuously denied it at the time, news coverage indicated that he may have used performance-enhancing drugs. In spite of this, team officials were not dissuaded.
In January, Armstrong admitted to using performance enhancing drugs. He had previously been stripped of his seven Tour de France titles, as well as losing his major sponsorship deals and receiving a lifetime ban from competitive cycling.
Under the federal False Claims Act, any citizen can sue for alleged fraud against the government, as Landis did in this case. A reward of as much as one-third of any money recovered could go to Landis, who was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title amidst doping accusations.
Stadium Reopening
Rio’s Joao Havelange Stadium will reopen in January 2015.
Brazilian news outlet O Globo reports that RioUrbe, a public works sector of the Rio de Janeiro government initially said work would be complete in November 2014, but a few minutes later said the new deadline would be in January.
The stadium, originally built for the 2007 Pan American Games, has been closed since March 26 after a study showed the roof was susceptible to wind damage.
A study conducted on June 4 found that metal structures had "deformations," O Globo reports.
Awards for Nigerians
The Nigerian 4x400m relay team will pocket more than $30,000 for their performance at the Sydney Olympics.
Originally, the team won silver at the Games. However, the gold-medal winning United States team was disqualified by the IOC in 2008 after Antonio Pettigrew admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs.
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan said on Wednesday the athletes will receive the award at a ceremony.
Written by Nick Devlin and Ed Hula III.
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