Greek fails drugs test
Just hours after the opening ceremony, Greek sprinter Anastasios Gousis became the first athlete of the Games to fail a drugs test.
Last Updated: 08/08/08 9:35pm
Just hours after the opening ceremony, Greek sprinter Anastasios Gousis became the first athlete of the Games to fail a drugs test.
Television in Greece reported that the 29-year-old returned a positive drugs test from those carried out by Greek anti-doping agency ESKAN before the team left for Japan.
Gousis was due to run in the 200m in Beijing but will now miss out after his positive test.
Greek officials have stepped up their drug-testing policy after the embarrassment caused by sprinters Katerina Thanou and Costas Kenteris missing tests just before they staged the Olympics in Athens four years ago.
As a result a number of athletes have tested positive in recent months, including 11 weightlifters, a boxer and a swimmer.
