Greek stars miss Olympics drugs test

Greek athletics stars Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou were injured in a motorcycle accident last night shortly after missing…

Greek athletics stars Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou were injured in a motorcycle accident last night shortly after missing a drugs test at the Games Village.

Kenteris and Thanou, whose missed tests are the subject of an International Olympic Committee hearing in Athens this morning, were kept in hospital in Athens overnight as a precaution, although neither was seriously hurt.

The accident happened near Glyfada, a southern Athens suburb where the Greek team has its training headquarters.

Greek athletics federation chief Vassilis Sevastis, asked about the condition of the athletes, said: "As you will understand their psychological state was not good. It seems that it's (the accident) not something very serious. Tests are ongoing."

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Kenteris and Thanou missed the tests after being given permission by the Greek Olympic committee to leave the Olympic Village to collect belongings from their homes.

The pair had been due to attend the random drugs test at 7.30 p.m. local time.  Christos Tzekos, coach of the two athletes, said they were at their home at the time of the test.

Having missed it, they apparently asked to take a test later in the evening at the clinic in the Olympic Village rather than at the anti-doping laboratory in Athens.

If Kenteris and Thanou cannot come up with a plausible excuse for failing to take the random test they face the prospect of being expelled from the Games in disgrace and serve an automatic two-year ban.

After an emergency meeting to consider the matter, IOC president Jacques Rogge ordered the launch of a three-man disciplinary committee to investigate the case, with the findings expected to be passed onto the full executive hours before the Opening Ceremony at which it was thought Kenteris would be given the honour of lighting the flame.

The indication from a statement released on behalf of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, indicated that the Greek chef de mission did not know Kenteris, 31, and Thanou, 29, were missing.

World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines on doping tests stipulate requests for a delay in taking the test must be declined if the athlete in question cannot be continuously chaperoned by a suitable official.

PA