World-famous cycling prodigy and tragedy, Lance Armstrong may be able to keep his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Games ev

en if he is stripped of his seven Tour de France victories for doping, according to legal experts.

Denis Oswald, a senior IOC member told The Associated Press on Friday that it was unclear if the Olympic body can take the time trial medal from Armstrong after the recent arbitration Sydney process.

“It’s an interesting case on a legal point of view,” said Denis Oswald, a Swiss lawyer and longtime member of the IOC’s legal commission.

Oswald said the expected case could turn on different ways to interpret the eight-year statute of limitations stipulated in the World Anti-Doping Code. Oswald also told AP that he that the IOC feels “bound” by the code, which regulates Olympic sports. However, he noted that the code came into force in 2003 and no time limit applied in Sydney.

In recent weeks, Lance Armstrong’s legacy and titles have been at risk since he dropped any further challenges to U.S. Anti-Doping Agency allegations that he took banned drugs throughout his career, including when he won the Tour from 1999 through 2005. Armstrong has been seeking dispute resolution Sydney, but the media storm and new drug laws in cycling sports may put an asterisk on his most significant accomplishments.

The USADA said the following day that Armstrong should lose all titles and medals won since August 1998. The International Cycling Union governing body is waiting to receive a detailed judgment from USADA before deciding whether to formally strip Armstrong’s Tour titles.

The IOC did formally strip an Olympic title last month from former Armstrong teammate Tyler Hamilton, just weeks before the eight-year statute of limitation expired.

Hamilton had already sent back his gold medal after previously admitting doping when he won the time trial at the 2004 Athens Games.

Hamilton published a book this week in which he detailed allegations of a co-ordinated doping program involving Armstrong and his Tour-winning teams. Armstrong denies having doped. UCI President Pat McQuaid said he will propose an amnesty for riders and officials who confess to doping offenses in a move to help clean up cycling after an era tarnished by doping.