The New York Times Friday that former professional cyclist Tyler Hamilton has surrendered his 2004 Olympic gold medal after admitting to doping during his cycling career. The article states that the International Olympic Committee has been in touch with the United States Anti-Doping Agency and, according to IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau, “has taken note of Hamiltons confession and will, of course, study any potential Games-related implications. Hamilton won the gold medal in the Athens 2004 time-trial race. If he is stripped of the gold medal, the title would go to Viatcheslav Ekimov, the silver to American Bobby Julich, and the bronze to Michael Rogers, of Australia.
The news came after yesterday's CBS report in which Hamilton seven-time Tour De France winner and Lance Armstrong of doping. Hamilton, a former teammate of Armstrong's, told CBS's Scott Pelley in a soon-to-air interview that he and others saw Armstrong inject the blood-boosting drug EPO on several occasions. Hamilton claims that Armstrong used EPO during the 1999 Tour De Francethe first year Armstrong wonand to prepare for the 2000 and 2001 races. Hamilton and Armstrong were teammates on the United States Postal Service team during those years.
“What did you actually witness?” Pelley asked Hamilton.
“I saw it in his refrigerator. I saw him inject itmore than one time.”
“You saw Lance Armstrong inject EPO?”
“Yeah, like, we all did.”
Lance Armstrong is currently the focus of a federal investigation on doping in cycling, a story 窪蹋勛圖厙 covered in our October 2010 issue. Last July, Hamilton was subpoenaed to appear before the federal grand jury. While Hamilton's attorney confirmed the subpoena to , he would not comment on the schedule of Hamilton's testimony.
After Hamilton won the gold medal in 2004, he tested positive for a banned blood transfusion. He retired in 2009 after admitting taking a supplement containing a banned steroid and is currently under an eight-year ban from cycling.
A teaser of the interview can be seen at . The full interview will air Sunday, May 22 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
–Michael Webster