Greece's Thanou wants to race again

Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou, who was acquitted of charges of missing three doping tests including one on the eve of the Athens Olympics, said yesterday she would race again.

Thanou and fellow sprinter Costas Kenteris, the country's best hopes for athletics medals at the Athens Games, had faced maximum two-year bans if found guilty of avoiding the tests.

Their case, hours before the Athens Games' opening ceremony last summer, cast a cloud over the Olympics and embarrassed the host nation.

"If I get the green light, yes (I will race again)," the 30-year-old said in an interview with To Vima newspaper.

"This is what I am waiting for to start again. I'm ready for as many battles as I need. I want to run again. Is there any better way of saying it, no," she said when asked what she would like to do next.

Former Olympic 200m champion Kenteris and Thanou, a 100m silver medallist at the Sydney Games, were cleared by the Greek athletics disciplinary commission which ruled the athletes were merely victims of incorrect procedures.

WADA reaction

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has said it will appeal the decision taken by the disciplinary commission if the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) does not take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Kenteris was guilty of missing one test while Thanou had missed two. But according to IAAF rules for any disciplinary action to kick in athletes must miss three or more tests in a span of 18 months.

Their coach Christos Tzekos got a four-year ban from all athletics competitions for his involvement in the missed tests.

Thanou also talked about the motorcycle accident she and Kenteris were allegedly involved in hours after missing the Athens test.

"I understand you for considering the accident as a childish excuse," she said.

"I have no problem of confessing that a lot of mistakes were made in this story and that I have my share of responsibility. All sides made mistakes at the time."