Thanou unlikley to prosper from Jones scandal.
November 9th 2007 22:45
The International Olympic Committee have announced that disgraced Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou is unlikely to be upgraded from the silver medal to the gold medal for the 100m at the Sydney Olympic games following Marion Jones disqualification for drugs offences.
The president of the Olympic movement Jacques Rogge stated that athletes must be ‘clean’ in order for an upgrade of position to be possible.
Thanou was sensationally ejected from the 2004 Athens Olympics and subsequently banned for drugs offences.
She is currently standing trial for allegedly faking a motorcycle accident and filing a false police report linked to her drugs offences.
"Potential upgrades will be scrutinised - we have to be sure they are clean," said IOC president Rogge.
If Thanou is not given the gold Bronze medallist Tanya Lawrence may be upgraded above Thanou to the Gold.
Merlene Ottey, the 4th placer at the Sydney games may also find herself left out of any promotions due to a drugs issue in 1999.
Ottey was convicted of using the performance enhancing drug Nandrolone and banned for two years only to be reinstated on a technicality.
In 2000 Jones was also part of the 4x100m and 4x400m squads that claimed gold and Rogge said that the IOC would wait for further recommendations from the IAAF before deciding whether or not to strip her team mates of their medals.
However past precedents suggest that neither team will keep their medals.
Following Dwain Chambers suspension and subsequent admission of taking THG the GB 4x100m relay team were stripped of the silver medals they won at the Paris world championships despite the fact that only Chambers had subsequently tested positive.
The president of the Olympic movement Jacques Rogge stated that athletes must be ‘clean’ in order for an upgrade of position to be possible.
Thanou was sensationally ejected from the 2004 Athens Olympics and subsequently banned for drugs offences.
She is currently standing trial for allegedly faking a motorcycle accident and filing a false police report linked to her drugs offences.
"Potential upgrades will be scrutinised - we have to be sure they are clean," said IOC president Rogge.
If Thanou is not given the gold Bronze medallist Tanya Lawrence may be upgraded above Thanou to the Gold.
Merlene Ottey, the 4th placer at the Sydney games may also find herself left out of any promotions due to a drugs issue in 1999.
Ottey was convicted of using the performance enhancing drug Nandrolone and banned for two years only to be reinstated on a technicality.
In 2000 Jones was also part of the 4x100m and 4x400m squads that claimed gold and Rogge said that the IOC would wait for further recommendations from the IAAF before deciding whether or not to strip her team mates of their medals.
However past precedents suggest that neither team will keep their medals.
Following Dwain Chambers suspension and subsequent admission of taking THG the GB 4x100m relay team were stripped of the silver medals they won at the Paris world championships despite the fact that only Chambers had subsequently tested positive.
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Cheers for the comment stanley!