David Walsh
Journalist and Chief Sports Writer, The Sunday Times
Journalist and Chief Sports Writer, The Sunday Times
David Walsh is an Irish sports writer and is the chief sports writer for The Sunday Times, he is well known for investigating Lance Armstrong and exposing the illegal use of drugs in professional cycling. David began his career as a journalist reporting for the Leibtrim Observer and at the age of 25 he became the editor. His next job was at the Dublin based newspaper the 'Irish Press', while working for the 'Irish Press'; he decided to take a year out to cover cycling in Paris. He returned to his job for a short period before moving on to work the 'Sunday Tribune' followed by the 'Sunday Independent' and in 1996 he joined 'The Sunday Times'. In 1998, David began working on the story about doping in professional cycling alongside another 'Sunday Times' journalist called Paul Kimmage. Together they managed to expose the extent of illegal doping that was taking place within the professional cycling circuit, in particular the US postal team and its leader Lance Armstrong. His article written in 2001 and titled 'Champ of Cheat' asked the question of why Lance Armstrong, a supposed clean rider would work with the controversial Italian Doctor, Michele Ferrari. Walsh has also written three books about Lance Armstrong, in which he revealed his findings and suspicions of drug use. David has also spoken out after the Lance Armstrong interview with Oprah Winfrey saying he was disappointed that Lance did not name the names of other cyclists that were involved in doping. He is a four-time winner of the Irish Sports Writer of the Year and a four-time winner of the UK Sports Writer of the Year. David was recently judged Journalist of the Year at the British Press Awards for his work on the Lance Armstrong story. In October 2013 it was announced that his book Seven Deadly Sins: My Pursuit of Lance Armstong was to be adapted into a film, starring Chris O'Dowd as Walsh and Ben Foster as Armstrong, and directed by Stephen Frears. David is an adept after dinner speaker, whose constant pursuit of Lance Armstrong and inability to give up on the truth was admirable. He has the ability to tell the story about his life as a journalist uncovering one of the decade's biggest stories.