Lance Armstrong is Lucky
He's Not European (Le Temps, Switzerland)
"America is
not Europe. With a great evangelical Christian tradition, it views things with equal
intensity, but forgives more easily. It is less likely to bear grudges. It's no
coincidence that America is often described as the "land of second chances."
But with one caveat. The Texan made Americans dream. He inspired them so much, that
he will need time to redeem himself in their eyes. The process may take many
years. And that's not counting his potential clash with the U.S. justice
system."
Austin's Lance Armstrong Bikeway may soon have another name, after the the cyclist finally admitted to doping and years of lies and threats against those who told the truth.
In an austere hotel room in Austin, Texas, the scene seemed
improbable. In Barack Obama's America, where a Black president is constantly
vilified by a fringe group of White conservatives and unrepentant racists, last
Thursday and Friday evening, the TV channel OWN
handed Americans a mirror. Stop muddying the waters! Lance Armstrong,
41, a White man from Texas, his face paler than usual, surrendered to the
confessional Catholic priestess of the United States, African-American Oprah
Winfrey.
The moment is presented as the "epic fall" of an
athlete that America admired. Austin made him their hero, the person who more
than anyone else symbolized the growing popularity of the Texas capital,
considered one of the healthiest cities in America. Today, the people of Austin
are considering renaming the cycling paths that bear Armstrong's name. Faced
with Oprah Winfrey, Lance Armstrong, driven by countless witnesses against him,
a devastating investigative report by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and stripped of his seven Tour de France victories,
gave himself up immediately. Yes, he took EPO
(erythropoietin); yes, he went on to have blood transfusions; yes, he injected
himself with testosterone, growth hormones and cortisone. The Texan seems
determined to end more than a decade of denials and slander against those who
told the truth about his doping practices.
Posted By
Worldmeets.US
Having inspired millions of Americans to take an interest in
cycling - hitherto a very European sport, and to take it up, Lance Armstrong
admits: "I viewed this situation as one big lie. ... I lost myself." He
regrets having betrayed family and friends, and promises to do everything he
can to regain their trust. Later, the televised open heart surgery appeared more
like cosmetic surgery. For some, the confessions of the Texan cyclist involved
more of a public relations exercise.
Will the interview with Oprah Winfrey be enough to lead
Lance Armstrong down the path of redemption? America is not Europe. With a
great evangelical Christian tradition, it views things with equal intensity,
but forgives more easily. It is less likely to bear grudges. It's no
coincidence that America is often described as the "land of second chances."
But with one caveat. The Texan made Americans dream. He inspired them so much,
both as a miracle against cancer and a champion cyclist driven by desire and
boundless dedication - that he will need time to redeem himself in their eyes.
The process may take many years. And that's not counting his potential clash
with the U.S. justice system.
To make amends, Lance Armstrong hasn't played on the
heartstrings by openly revealing his emotions. Yet this is the tactic used most
often today by those who seek redemption after wrongdoing. His attitude remains
ambiguous. On the one hand, he is ready to perform a kind of self-flagellation,
noting that for those he injured his confessions were in any case "too
late." On the other, he refuses to take responsibility, according to the USADA, for being the chief organizer of doping within his
cycling team. For many, he hasn't gone far enough in his confessions.
During the Oprah interview, body language expert Susan
Constantine observed Lance Armstrong [watch above]. For her, the fact that the
Texan often put his hands over his mouth while speaking shows, perhaps unconsciously,
an intent to say things only grudgingly. By sometimes speaking in the third
person, she adds, he also put some distance between himself and his act of contrition.
At the end of the interview, he also expressed regret about returning to
competitive cycling. "We wouldn't be sitting here if I didn't come back,"
Armstrong said, convinced that it was only since 2009 that he faced this
vicious spiral of accusation.
For Lance Armstrong, the example to follow may be Bill
Clinton. Reviled by some Americans for perjuring himself during the Monica
Lewinsky affair, he made his act of contrition before actively reengaging in
public life as a former president of the United States. The September 2012
Democratic convention in Charlotte, where he was the most applauded speaker, was
a manifestation of his successful redemption. For the Texan, however, the ride
may be a bumpier one.
