HellenicAthletes.com has claimed that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) were prepared to upgrade Thanou to the gold medal that they stripped from American Marion Jones after she admitted using banned performance-enhancing drugs at the time.

In return, the Greek sprinter would acknowledge her guilt and accept full responsibility for her missing a series of out-of-competition drugs tests in the build-up to the 2004 Athens Games.

Thanou has refused the offer and her legal team is now preparing a multi-million dollar dollar lawsuit against the IOC.

That is based on her being also banned her from competing in the Beijing Olympics last year after the IOC evoked rule 45.2 of the Olympic Charter, claiming she had brought the Movement into “disrepute” for her “unacceptable behaviour” at the 2004 Olympics and that she and training partner Kostas Kederis had faked a motorcycle accident on the eve of the Opening Ceremony to avoid being drug tested.

She denies the allegation.

They also plan to take legal action against Jacques Rogge, the President of the IOC, and Lambis Nikolaou, a senior member of the IOC and former President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee.

The papers are expected to be served before the end of the year.

HellenicAthletes.com claims that the IOC's lawyers have recommended that Thanou be awarded the gold medal from the Sydney 100m, a race in which she finished second behind Jones, but that Rogge is refusing to sanction it.

Thanou is due to appear in a court in Athens on November 10 to face charges over the alleged faked motorcycle accident.

If she is found guilty, she is expected to face a small fine or suspended sentence.

Thanou also hopes to compete at the London Olympics in 2012, when she will be 37.