Greek officials red-faced after torch blunder

Greek officials were left red-faced yesterday after it became known former Olympic champion Fani Halkia, banned for doping, had run a leg of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games torch relay in Greece.

The Greek Association of Olympic winners, who had included Halkia on a list of proposed torchbearers sent to the Greek Olympic Committee, said the blunder was down to human error.

"This is an honest mistake and nothing else," association president Giorgos Sigalas told Reuters.

"It was my mistake for not checking the names of the list that was drafted here and was sent to the committee. The Greek Olympic Committee did not spot it either but at the end of the day the list was from us so I accept full responsibility."

It was not clear how her name was not spotted as Sigalas said the list had less than 10 names on it of former Olympians proposed as torchbearers.

Hurdler Halkia, a surprise gold medallist in the Athens 2004 Games, tested positive for the steroid methyltrienolone in August 2008 and was subsequently banned from athletics for two years by the sport's governing body.