The Hindu : Sport / Olympic Games : Greek sprinter leaves hospital

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2004

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Sport - Olympic Games

Greek sprinter leaves hospital

ATHENS, AUG. 17 Greek sprinter Kostas Kenteris left an Athens hospital on Tuesday, four days after a motorcycle crash that followed a missed drug test.

Kenteris and training partner Katerina Thanou were scheduled to appear before an International Olympic Committee panel on Wednesday and could face suspension from the Olympic Games.

Thanou did not leave the hospital with Kenteris.

The Greek Olympic committee suspended the athletes from their team on Saturday, pending a final decision by the IOC disciplinary committee. Their coach, Christos Tsekos, was also suspended.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the motorcycle accident that left Kenteris, the reigning 200-metre champion, and Thanou, the 100-metre silver medallist at Sydney, hospitalised with cuts and bruises.

``I am suffering a great injustice and I want to say I never used banned substances,'' Kenteris said from the passenger seat of a car that was driving him out of Athens KAT trauma hospital.

The IOC and prosecutors are trying to find out what happened last Thursday, when the two national stars weren't available for drug tests in the Olympic village.

The IOC granted the two athletes another extension on Monday. A disciplinary hearing was pushed back by two days.

The athletes were taken to a hospital a few hours after they missed a drug test and their motorcycle skidded and crashed.

Chief city prosecutor Dimitris Papagelopoulos ordered an investigation to determine if any laws were violated by the athletes, their coach or sports officials in connection to the accident. — AP

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