Lance Armstrong Withdraws From Austin Swim Meet

After an objection was raised Thursday by FINA, swimming’s international governing body, Lance Armstrong has withdrawn from a masters swim meet being held this weekend in Austin, Texas, The Associated Press and other news outlets are reporting.

His decision came shortly after news of his planned participation started to spread, leading to questions about why an athlete who is banned from most international competitions because of doping charges could compete against others in such an event. The explanation is basically that masters swimming isn’t subject to the authority of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

But FINA wrote to U.S. Masters Swimming to say that its member federations (which include U.S. Masters Swimming) should recognize and respect decisions made by USADA and other such organizations. The FINA statement is posted here.

Read more: Npr.org