Lance Armstrong’s medal back with IOC

Lance Armstrong   AP File Photo

GENEVA — The International Olympic Committee said Wednesday it had disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong’s 2000 bronze medal in its possession, 10 months after demanding that he give it back.

“Armstrong sent it to the US Olympic Committee on September 12 and we received it a few days later,” IOC spokeswoman Nadia Bonjour told AFP.

“It’s in a vault,” she said.

Last January, the IOC wrote to Armstrong, who came in third in the time-trial event at the Sydney Olympics, demanding that he return the medal after he was stripped of his career record back to August 1998 for taking performance-enhancing drugs.

The legendary-turned-notorious cyclist, who has admitted he cheated his way to a record seven Tour de France victories, has been banned for life from the sport.

The new head of the IOC, Thomas Bach, complained last month that Armstrong had not yet returned the medal.

The organization, which provided no explanation Wednesday for the delay, has ruled out redistributing medal.