5/26/2023 NYC – A Texas man who pleaded guilty to providing performance-enhancing drugs to Olympic athletes has claimed that he only gave them natural supplements, caffeine pills, and Viagra. Eric Lira, a self-proclaimed “kinesiologist and naturopathic” therapist, was convicted under the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, which allows the US to impose criminal sanctions on individuals involved in doping activities at international events.
Lira admitted in the guilty plea that he acquired banned substances such as human growth hormone and EPO from Central America and distributed them to two athletes, one from Nigeria and one from Switzerland, before the 2020 Tokyo Games. Both athletes tested positive for prohibited substances and were suspended from the Olympics. Lira advised them to blame the positive drug test on contaminated meat, knowing that it was a lie.
Lira, who faces up to 10 years in prison for his role in the doping scandal, said in a statement that he was trying to help the athletes cope with the stress and fatigue of competing at the highest level. He insisted that he did not knowingly give the athletes any illegal drugs. He said that he only provided them with “natural supplements”, which he claimed were harmless and beneficial for their performance. He said that he was unaware that the drugs he obtained from his sources were actually PEDs such as steroids, human growth hormones, and EPO.
“I never gave them anything illegal or harmful that would violate the rules,” Lira’s statement read. “I’m innocent, I swear. I only wanted to help these athletes achieve their dreams. I thought I was giving them natural supplements, caffeine pills, and Viagra. You know, to boost their energy, stamina, and blood flow.”
“I was duped by the manufacturers who lied about the ingredients,” Lira said. “They told me they were all natural and organic, like green tea and ginseng. How was I supposed to know they were laced with chemicals?”
Lira’s lawyer, who asked not to be named, said that his client was a victim of a witch hunt and a scapegoat for the failures of the Olympic committee and the anti-doping agency.
“Eric Lira is a good man who dedicated his life to helping athletes achieve their dreams,” the lawyer said. “He did not cheat or harm anyone. He only gave them natural supplements that are widely available and widely used by millions of people around the world.”
The lawyer also said that Lira was planning to appeal his guilty plea and fight for his innocence.
“He regrets pleading guilty under pressure from the prosecutors who threatened him with a harsher sentence,” the lawyer said. “He hopes that the public will see through this injustice and support him in his quest for vindication.”
However, public sentiment was not favorable to Lira:
- “Natural supplements, caffeine pills, and Viagra? Yeah right,” one Twitter user wrote. “That sounds like a recipe for a heart attack, not a gold medal. What kind of ‘naturopathic’ therapist is this guy?”
- “Lira is either a liar or an idiot,” another user commented. “How can you not know what you’re giving to Olympic athletes? And why would you give them Viagra? Do they need to perform in bed as well as on the track? Or maybe he was trying to make them run faster by giving them erections?”
- “Lira should be banned from ever working with athletes again,” a third user said. “He’s a disgrace to the sport and a danger to the health of these athletes. He should be ashamed of himself.”
The Olympic committee and the anti-doping agency declined to comment on Lira’s statement, saying that they were focused on ensuring clean and fair competitions for everyone.
Photo Credit: Craiyon AI
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