JULY 29 - THE International Olympic Commitee (IOC) has re-opened its investigation into controversial sprinter Ekaterina Thanou (pictured) after the Greeks named her in their team for the Beijing Games, it was reported today.

 

The website HellenicAthletes.com reported that Thanou received a letter last week from the IOC saying that it will review her case from 2004 and could still prevent her from competing in Beijing.

 

Thanou served a two-year ban for missing anti-doping tests in the run-up to the 2004 Olympics in Athens, part of a major scandal that also involved fellow Greek sprinter Kostas Kenteris on the eve of their home Olympics.

 

HellenicAthletes.com report that the IOC have the right to reopen the hearing having reserved that right at its Executive Board meeting on August 18 2004 after Thanou and Kenteris withdrew from the Games in Athens.

 

But HellenicAthletes.com also claim that in a confidential report that they have seen that the IOC acknowledge that the pair's coach Christos Tzekos was to blame for the athletes missing their out-of-competition drugs tests.

The Hellenic Olympic Committee said it could not exclude Thanou as she was eligible to compete since December, 2006, when her ban ended and had achieved the qualifying time for the 100m legitimately.
 
Thanou finished second in the 100m at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 but Marion Jones, the winner, has since been disqualified after admitting she was using banned performance-enhancing drugs at the time.
 
Thanou's British-based laywer Gregory Ioannidis has said the IOC needs to provide "a compelling justification" for re-opening the case and stopping her running in Beijing.