AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Wednesday, September 3, 2003
Lance Armstrong and wife Kristin have decided to end their five-year marriage, the five-time Tour de
France champion said Wednesday.
Lance Armstrong said the couple separated two weeks ago, soon after they moved back to Austin from
their European home in Girona, Spain. They are currently in mediation to work out a divorce
settlement and are maintaining separate homes in Central Austin.
"We both have (legal) representation, and we're doing this peacefully," Lance Armstrong said. "The
craziest thing is, we're closer now and better friends than ever before.
"We're truly committed to maintaining a good relationship, but not a marriage."
"It's an unfortunate situation," Kristin Armstrong said. "We are making the best of it for the sake
of our kids."
The two first separated in late January, announcing their split publicly a month later. Lance
Armstrong, 31, then left for his home in Girona, where he lives during the cycling season.
A month later, Kristin, 32, and the couple's three young children followed, and the couple decided
to go through counseling in an effort to salvage their marriage.
Kristin, 3-year-old Luke and 22-month-old twins Isabelle and Grace were with Lance in Paris on July
27 to celebrate his record-tying fifth straight Tour victory. They left Paris together and spent
time on a family vacation before returning to Austin late last month.
On Sunday, Lance Armstrong, along with the three children, made his first public appearance in
Austin since his latest Tour victory. He tossed the coin before the season opener for the
University of Texas football team at Royal-Memorial Stadium. Kristin Armstrong was not with her
husband and the children.
The Armstrongs have been one of the highest-profile couples in international sports. Their story —
his overcoming testicular cancer, her efforts to have children, their fund-raising for
cancer-related issues — has inspired thousands of cancer survivors. Kristin met Lance in January
1997, weeks after he had completed intense chemotherapy to treat his advanced testicular cancer.
The two started dating in June 1997 and were married 11 months later. Soon, they began talking about
starting a family. Because Lance's cancer treatments could have made him sterile, he banked his
sperm before his chemotherapy. All three children were born through in vitro fertilization.
Kristin kept a diary chronicling the process on her husband's Web site. Luke was born in October
1999, three months after Lance won his first Tour. The twins were born in November 2001.
Lance and Kristin Armstrong said they will remain in Austin after the divorce.
"The kids are our first priority," he said. "We're also going to be respectful of each other.
Neither of us wants to get in the situation where when we drop off the kids, we can't look at
each other."
The Armstrongs' announcement came on the same day the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously
congratulated him on his latest Tour victory.
"This distinguished body is recognizing the inspirational Lance Armstrong and his unbelievable
courage, grit and determination," said U.S. Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va.