Tweet
Greek champion fails drugs test
Halkia was a surprise winner in the 400m hurdles at the Athens Olympics
Reigning Olympic 400m hurdles champion Fani Halkia has failed a drugs test and will not defend her crown in Beijing.
Halkia, 29, failed a test conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency while she was preparing for the Games in Japan.
The athlete revealed she had tested positive for the banned steroid methyltrienolone but said she did not know how it had got into her sample.
Halkia, surprise 400m hurdles winner at the 2004 Olympics, has been strongly criticised by the Greek Olympic chief.
The athlete, who was due to begin the defence of her title in the heats on Sunday, protested her innocence.
"I am shocked - I have undergone more testing than anyone else," she said.
If you want to commit suicide it is up to you but you do not have the right to kill your country
Minos Kyriakou
Greek Olympic Committee
"I can't believe it. The first thing I thought of doing was to give all the nutritional supplements I have consumed, my vitamins, for testing."
Greek Olympic Committee chief Minos Kyriakou was scathing in his criticism of Halkia.
"It would be best if she had just stayed at home instead of dragging our country's name through the mud," said Kyriakou.
"If you want to commit suicide it is up to you but you do not have the right to kill your country. It is so sad the Athens Games golden girl was caught doping."
Greece have lost a total of 18 athletes, including 11 weightlifters, sprinters, a rower and a swimmer due to positive drugs tests in the run-up to the Games, after Kyriakou upped pre-Games testing to four controls for every Olympic team member.
Falkia denies any wrongdoing, but the Greek Olympic Committee earlier issued a brief statement confirming an unnamed athlete had been suspended after a first sample tested positive. It stated that the person had left the Olympic Village pending the results of tests on a second sample. A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee said the case would now go to its disciplinary commission, before the executive board made a final decision.
Halkia was a surprise winner in the 400m hurdles at the Athens Olympics Reigning Olympic 400m hurdles champion Fani Halkia has failed a drugs test and will not defend her crown in Beijing.
Halkia, 29, failed a test conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency while she was preparing for the Games in Japan.
The athlete revealed she had tested positive for the banned steroid methyltrienolone but said she did not know how it had got into her sample.
Halkia, surprise 400m hurdles winner at the 2004 Olympics, has been strongly criticised by the Greek Olympic chief.
The athlete, who was due to begin the defence of her title in the heats on Sunday, protested her innocence.
"I am shocked - I have undergone more testing than anyone else," she said.
If you want to commit suicide it is up to you but you do not have the right to kill your country
Minos Kyriakou
Greek Olympic Committee
"I can't believe it. The first thing I thought of doing was to give all the nutritional supplements I have consumed, my vitamins, for testing."
Greek Olympic Committee chief Minos Kyriakou was scathing in his criticism of Halkia.
"It would be best if she had just stayed at home instead of dragging our country's name through the mud," said Kyriakou.
"If you want to commit suicide it is up to you but you do not have the right to kill your country. It is so sad the Athens Games golden girl was caught doping."
Greece have lost a total of 18 athletes, including 11 weightlifters, sprinters, a rower and a swimmer due to positive drugs tests in the run-up to the Games, after Kyriakou upped pre-Games testing to four controls for every Olympic team member.
Falkia denies any wrongdoing, but the Greek Olympic Committee earlier issued a brief statement confirming an unnamed athlete had been suspended after a first sample tested positive. It stated that the person had left the Olympic Village pending the results of tests on a second sample. A spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee said the case would now go to its disciplinary commission, before the executive board made a final decision.
Comment