The six-time Ironman world champion Dave Scott has opposed the online portal 220triathlon for allowing Lance Armstrong, who has been banned for life, to start at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. The reason he gave for this was financial aspects, which are still associated with the name of the Texan. Armstrong received a lifetime ban from all WADA-monitored competitions as part of the USADA investigation and his public doping admission.
"I have mixed feelings", according to Scott. "Of course he's guilty, he admitted that himself, and I think he's been punished for his offenses a thousand times more than other doping offenders that the sport has undoubtedly seen. [...] But he also has a passion for racing. He has already proven that in the triathlon.”
Regarding the importance of having Armstrong eligibility to compete in triathlon, Scott was more explicit: "I think it would have been a great thing if the sport could have capitalized on its prominence. [...] If you just consider the prize money in our sport, it bears no relation to that in other sports. I don't know if he was clean when he competed in the triathlon, but he was tested and would be tested again, so I think he should be allowed to compete."
When asked if he would race again in Kona himself, Scott said he wanted to focus on a few half-distance races first. He left open the possibility of starting again.
Scott was one of the most important triathletes of the 1980s. His duel with Mark Allen at the Ironman Hawaii in 1989, which as Iron War went down in history. [Link] Scott finally retired in the mid-90s at the age of forty.