Lance Armstrong is slightly less banned

Lance Armstrong’s ban has been partially lifted. USA Today reports that since August 24 he has been permitted to compete at a national or regional level in a sport other than cycling.

This part of his ban expired four years after it was announced by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). He remains banned for life from sanctioned cycling events.

The relevant article of the USADA code reads:

“An Athlete or other Person subject to a period of Ineligibility longer than four (4) years may, after completing four (4) years of the period of Ineligibility, participate in local sport events in a sport other than the sport in which the Athlete or other Person committed the anti-doping rule violation, but only so long as the local sport event is not at a level that could otherwise qualify such Athlete or other Person directly or indirectly to compete in (or accumulate points toward) a national championship or International Event.”

Asked about his plans, Armstrong said that his competing days were behind him. “I am now 45 years old and just exercise these days for general fitness and for my sanity.”

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Nevertheless, having been banned from swimming, running and triathlon events for the last four years, he is now permitted to compete. He is currently looking to start up a new endurance-based venture called WEDU and says he will take part in these events.

Armstrong doesn’t currently seem to have any plans beyond this, but maybe he’ll enlighten us more in coming weeks via his rambling weekly podcast (which we haven’t actually listened to since the first episode).