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A23
SPORTS Friday 20 april 2018
Olympic great Walsh Jennings announces beach volleyball tour

By JIMMY GOLEN medal at the 2016 Olym-
AP Sports Writer pics in Rio de Janeiro.
Five-time Olympian Kerri Instead, Walsh Jennings
Walsh Jennings has an- has formed her own mini-
nounced plans for her new tour, using beach volley-
beach volleyball circuit ball as the centerpiece
that will bring a sports and of an entertainment and
music festival to eight cities. wellness festival. Attend-
The p1440 series will open ees, she said, will be able
in September in San Jose, to watch the competition,
California, and then over work out, practice yoga or
the next four months visit meditation, eat and listen
Las Vegas, San Diego and to live music.
Huntington Beach, Califor- The tour dates do not con-
nia. Four stops in early 2019 flict with the AVP tour's
are planned, including Chi- summer schedule or the
cago; the others were not FIVB international tour. A
announced. p1440 spokeswoman said
A three-time Olympic gold they were not ready to an-
medalist, Walsh Jennings nounce any musical acts,
broke with the biggest do- player commitments or
mestic pro tour last year, prize money details.
saying AVP officials lacked The name p1440 comes
the vision to grow the sport. from Walsh Jennings' desire In this Aug. 17, 2016, file photo, United States' Kerri Walsh Jennings reacts while playing Brazil dur-
The move meant a split to live all 1,440 minutes in ing the women's beach volleyball bronze medal match of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de
with April Ross, her partner the day with purpose. Janeiro, Brazil.
when they won the bronze q Associated Press

LANCE ARMSTRONG lawsuit would have been attorneys.
Continued from Page 17 the biggest by far. Armstrong had claimed he
Armstrong had already Armstrong is still believed didn't owe the Postal Ser-
retired, but the confession to be worth millions based vice anything because the
shattered the legacy of on a vast investment port- agency made far more
one of the most popular folio and homes in Austin, off the sponsorship than it
sports figures in the world. Texas, and Aspen, Colo- paid; Armstrong's lawyers
In a statement to The As- rado. He also owns a pair introduced internal studies
sociated Press, Armstrong of bicycle shops in Austin for the agency that cal-
said he's happy to have and WeDu, an endurance culated benefits in media
"made peace with the events company. He also exposure topping $100
Postal Service." hosts a regular podcast in million. The government
"While I believe that their which he interviews other countered that Armstrong
lawsuit against me was sports figures and celebri- had been "unjustly en-
meritless and unfair, and ties and has provided run- riched" through the spon-
while I am spending a lot ning commentary on the sorship and that the nega-
of money to resolve it, I Tour de France. tive fallout from the doping
have since 2013 tried to Armstrong had built a In this July 24, 2004, file pool photo, overall leader Lance Arm- scandal tainted the agen-
take full responsibility for world-wide following dur- strong, right, of Austin, Texas, follows compatriot and teammate cy's reputation. Armstrong
my mistakes and inap- ing his career winning rac- Floyd Landis, left, in the ascent of the La Croix Fry pass during the had been the target of a
17th stage of the Tour de France cycling race between Bourg-
propriate conduct, and es and fighting cancer. d'Oisans and Le Grand Bornand, French Alps. federal criminal grand jury,
make amends wherever His personal story of re- Associated Press but that case was closed
possible," he said. "I rode covering from testicular without charges in Febru-
my heart out for the Postal cancer that had spread agency to sign the team against the government ary 2012. Armstrong had
cycling team, and was al- to his brain, while forcefully for another five years. Arm- when they cheated while previously tried to settle the
ways especially proud to denying persistent rumors strong and his teams domi- riding under the Postal Ser- Landis whistleblower law-
wear the red, white and of doping, had built his nated cycling's marquee vice banner. According suit, but those talks broke
blue eagle on my chest Lance Armstrong Founda- event, winning every year to court records, the con- down before the govern-
when competing in the tion cancer charity into a from 1999-2005. tract paid the team, which ment announced its inten-
Tour de France. Those $500 million global brand Armstrong's cheating was was operated by Tailwind tion to join the case.
memories are very real and turned him into a ce- finally uncovered in 2012 Sports Corp., about $32 mil- "I am glad to resolve this
and mean a lot to me." lebrity. The foundation, when the U.S. Anti-Doping lion from 2000 to 2004. Arm- case and move forward
The settlement clears the which removed him from Agency, armed with sworn strong got nearly $13.5 mil- with my life," Armstrong
46-year-old Armstrong of its board and renamed it- testimony from Landis and lion. Under the lawsuit, the said. "I'm looking forward
the most damaging legal self Livestrong, has seen other former teammates, government could have to devoting myself to the
issues still facing the cy- donations and revenue moved to strip Armstrong pursued "treble" damages, many great things in my
clist since his downfall. He plummet since Armstrong's of his titles. Landis, himself which could have reached life — my five kids, my wife,
had already taken huge confession. a former doping cheat the $100 million range. As my podcast, several excit-
hits financially, losing all his Armstrong's team was al- who was stripped of his the person who filed the ing writing and film proj-
major sponsors and being ready under the Postal Ser- 2006 Tour de France title, original lawsuit, Landis is eli- ects, my work as a cancer
forced to pay more than vice sponsorship when he sued Armstrong under the gible for up to 25 percent survivor, and my passion
$20 million in damages and won his first Tour de France federal False Claims Act, of the settlement, which for sports and competition.
settlements in a series of in 1999. The media frenzy alleging Armstrong and will include an additional There is a lot to look for-
lawsuits. The government's that followed pushed the his team committed fraud $1.65 million paid to Landis' ward to."q