Lance Armstrong's Career May Finally Be Over After Being Barred From A Swimming Competition

Lance Armstrong had planned to return to competitive sports this week in a Masters swimming event. But according to Juliet Macur of The New York Times, the International Swimming Federation has stepped in and barred Armstrong from the event, which could effectively end his career as a competitive athlete.

Armstrong, who has experience as a competitive swimmer, is currently serving a lifetime ban from Olympic sports, which was handed down by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The International Swimming Federation complies with those bans.

One of the issues is that there is no drug testing for this type of competition and many of the competitors view the Masters' events as something that is just for fun, with no cash prizes. But when the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency learned of Armstrong's intention, the International Swimming Federation became involved.

It is unclear what is next for Armstrong, who clearly still has a strong desire to compete. But unless the World Anti-Doping Agency reduces Armstrong's penalty, his days as a competitive athlete may be over.