It was revealed that a member of the Greek Olympic team in Paris has reportedly been implicated in the use of an illegal substance. Reports suggest the female athlete had tested positive for an unspecified substance before the team departed for Paris. The athlete was ultimately included in the Greek team as more details about the substance detected in her body were needed before she was expelled.
The athlete reportedly neglected to undergo further tests to determine if she had violated anti-doping rules and to inform the Greek officials of the situation, choosing instead to compete in her event. In the case she had advanced to the final she would have been disqualified for doping.
Two days ago, the athlete was informed, followed by the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS), the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC), WADA, and the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU).
Meanwhile, the National Anti-Doping Organization (EOKAN) requested the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to conduct a new sampling during the athlete’s stay in Paris for the Olympic Games, with EOKAN managing the case.
The athlete could face a potential four-year ban, which would also mean her missing the next Olympic Games. Additionally, according to the law, SEGAS risks losing a significant portion of its state funding. The HOC announced that a provisional suspension had been imposed on the athlete.
It should be noted that before the departure of the national track and field team, there was an exclusion of an athlete from the Greek Olympic team who tested positive—Kiriaki Filitsakou (we mention her name as she revealed it herself in an interview with “NEA”)—and did not travel to Paris.
