Wednesday, November 7, 2007

This Means NOT You


So the IOC has decided to give Marion Jones' medals to "clean: athletes only. No, this is not an oxymoron in track and field, but this is a subtle way of saying that Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, who came in second to Jones at the 2000 Olympics in the 100 meters, will not be getting Jones' gold medal.

From Thanou's wikipedia page, the most accurate source of info known to (wo)man:


For the 2004 Summer Olympics, Thanou was one of the main hopes of the home crowd for winning an athletics medal. However, on the day prior to the opening ceremony, Thanou and her training partner Konstantinos Kenteris failed to attend a drugs test, and later the same night were hospitalised, claiming they had both been injured in a motorcycle accident. In the ensuing doping scandal, Kenteris and Thanou announced their withdrawal from the Games on August 18, after a hearing before the Disciplinary Commission of the IOC. An official Greek investigation into their alleged accident, ruled that it had been staged. Their coach Christos Tsekos was also suspended and was later caught with large amounts of steroids and other drugs in his possession.


The missed test in Athens was the duo's third violation of the summer and they were consequently suspended by the IAAF on 22 December 2004. After a long legal battle, on 26 June 2006 before the Court of Arbitration for Sport the Greek athletes, accepted anti-doping rule violations of 3 missed tests between 27 July and 12 August 2004 (in breach of Rule 32.2(d)) and a failure to provide a urine and a blood sample on 12 August 2004 (in breach of Rule 32.2(c)). They became eligible to compete again on 22 December 2006.

On her return to international competition at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, she was booed by the crowds before finishing 6th in the final.

Sixth place upon her return? Skipping drug tests because of a motorcycle accident with your other teammate who has been suspected of steroid use? Coach caught with a bag full of steroids shortly thereafter?


Nope, nothing wrong here. Give this woman give her that gold medal.

No comments: