Armstrong banned from competing in swimming event

Lance Armstrong has been stopped from competing at a masters swimming event in Texas in what would have been the banned cyclist’s first return to competitive sport.

US Masters Swimming executive director Rob Butcher said that Armstrong will not swim three distance events in the Masters South Central Zone Swimming Championships at the University of Texas this weekend after swimming’s international federation body raised objections.

“He doesn’t want to cause any more harm to any more organisations,” Butcher said. “His interest was around fitness and training. In light of Fina and the other political stuff, he will not be swimming.”