The measure of a man who does his duty is not what others think of him but his own commitment to doing what is right. Travis Tygart, as the CEO of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), heads an organization dedicated to protecting athletes who play fair from those who don’t. No one would argue with the philosophy of doping-free sport, but few are willing to undertake the demanding work of identifying cheaters and imposing sanctions on them.
Proving what many already suspected about Lance Armstrong in particular was especially challenging, given the relentless media and legal tactics organized by Armstrong and his team, which were increasingly directed against Tygart personally. Some wilt under such circumstances. Others become even more determined not to succumb. Tygart’s work was so thorough that once the courts, predictably, dismissed Armstrong’s challenges, he had no alternative but to face the music. Armstrong folded and later confessed that he had, in fact, doped for many years, just as the USADA had charged. He got what he deserved: stripped of his Tour de France wins, a lifetime ban and the ignominy of having cheated other athletes and those who believed in his achievements.
Score one for the good guys.
Pound is a former chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency and a member of the International Olympic Committee