Tyler Hamilton of the USA and riding for Rock Racing prepares for the start of the Individual Time Trial on Stage 6 of the AMGEN Tour of California on February 20, 2009 in Solvang, California. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) * Local Caption * Tyler Hamilton
(February 20, 2009 – Source: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images North America)
(PhatzRadio / USA Today) — LONDON – The International Olympic Committee is preparing to strip American cyclist Tyler Hamilton of his 2004 gold medal, an Olympic official told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday.
The official, who requested anonymity because it had not yet been formally announced, said IOC officials were scheduled to meet Friday to re-allocate the medals from the road race time trial from the Summer Games in Athens after Hamilton admitted his use of performance-enhancing drugs.
Under the planned medal reassignment, Viatcheslav Ekimov of Russia will be awarded the gold. Bobby Julich of the USA will get silver, and Michael Rogers of Australia will get bronze.
After years of denials, Hamilton told CBS’s 60 Minutes last year that he had repeatedly used performance-enhancing drugs. The IOC asked for documents from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency before reallocating the medals.
The case has gained urgency because the IOC’s eight-year statute of limitations runs out at the end of this month.
USADA said at the time of Hamilton’s doping admission that he had turned over his gold medal to the doping agency, but the IOC had not received it and the race result had not been officially overturned.
The Associated Press was first to report that the medal would be stripped.
Hamilton, who helped Lance Armstrong win the Tour in 1999, 2000 and ’01, accused Armstrong in the CBS interview of doping. Armstrong has denied using performance-enhancing drugs.
Contributing: Wire reports.
