Oly: Greek athlete tests positive for drugs

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2004
Oly: Greek athlete tests positive for drugs

ATHENS, Aug 20 Reuters - Greek pride was dealt another blow today when one of their
athletes failed a drugs test at the Olympics just 48 hours after its two top sprinters
pulled out of the Games in a doping scandal.

"We won't be able to reveal the identity of the athlete until the results of the B
sample are with us," a Greek team spokesman said.

But a source close to the team said the athlete concerned was weightlifter Leonidas
Sampanis who won a bronze medal on Monday.

Greece's 200m Sydney Olympics champion Costas Kenteris and his training partner, 100m
silver medallist Katerina Thanou, pulled out of the Games on Wednesday in a scandal over
missed dope tests that shamed the host nation.

After a week of headlines about the spiritual homeland of the Olympics being sullied
by tawdry sagas, the Athens organisers had hoped sport would finally take centre stage.

But lofty ideals were dragged in the dirt once more by the news that a Greek athlete
had tested positive.

The reaction from the Greek government was swift and angry.

"For any athlete who has taken banned substances, the reaction of the government will
be very hard," a government source said. "They will be stripped of any medals, awards
or other privileges according to Greek laws."

Reuters mo

KEYWORD: OLY DOPING SECOND LEAD

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