Top Greek athlete banned
Greek runner Fani Halkia expelled from the Olympics after testing positive for a banned substance confirmed IOC.
By Rebecca Syrocki
Last Updated: 19/08/08 9:24am
The International Olympic committee (IOC) have formally expelled Greek runner Fani Halkia from the Olympics after testing positive for a banned substance.
The 29-year-old failed the test while preparing for the Games in Japan earlier this month. She won the women's 400m hurdles in Athens in 2004.
Things came to light when the Greek Olympic Committee suspended Halkia and ordered her out of the Olympic Village on Sunday.
In a statement released by the IOC they confirmed that she had tested positive for a steroid, with potentially serious side affects, called Methyltrienoloe.
The test was conducted on August 10. The IOC was informed of the positive A sample last Saturday and the B sample on Sunday.
The IOC had notified Greek authorities of their concerns of Chalkia's coach George Panagiotopoulos regarding possible violations of Greek law.
After Spanish cyclist Maria Isobel Moreno, medal-winning North Korean shooter Kim Jong-Su and Vietnamese gymnast Do Thi Ngan Thuong, Halkia brings the total of positive doping tests confirmed to four in Beijing.
Men's 200m runner Tasos Gousis, also a Greek athlete, was recalled from Beijing after testing positive for a prohibited performance drug. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Daniela Yordanova, a Bulgarian 1500m runner, was dropped by her team before her event.
