Greek doping scandal spreads

The Greek doping scandal which started with the discovery of illicit substances in samples taken from eleven members of Greece's weightlifting teams on 7 March by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) has widened. The Hellenic Anti - Doping Council (ESKAN) announced today that four other Greek athletes had tested positive for banned substances, a fifth athlete refused to be tested. According to statements made by Asterios Deleyiannis, vice president of ESKAN on the Greek TV station NET, cyclists and handball players had failed dope tests.

The Greek Weightlifting Federation has decided not to ask for an examination of the B samples taken from the 11 members of the country's Olympic weightliting team. The Federation appears to be adopting the line first put foward by the team's coach Christos Iakovou that the positive doping results are due to a mix - up in the athletes dietary supplements by the chinese supplier, Auspure.

In a press conference, Iakovou's lawyer, Mixlis Dimitrakopoulos claimed that the Shanghai based company had apologised for what was termed a "tragic mistake" in an email in his possession. However, the email in question had no details of either the sender or recipient apart from the name Su Li. Nor was any explanation given as to how the supplement in question managed to find its way into athletes hands without passing Greek custom checks or why other athletes did not test posive.

Despite repeated attempts to contact Aupere via email the company has made no reply as whether they had indeed sent the email in question or if Ms Su Li is an employee. The company's website also was suddenly unavailable as of yesterday.

The Greek district attorney's office raided various althletic facilities in Agia Kosma in order to carry out searches of the weightlifters rooms. However, many in the Greek media have doubted the efficacy of such a move more than a month after the original surprise check by WADA and more than three days after the story broke in the local media.

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Greek doping scandal takes new turn

Claims made yesterday by the Greek Olympic weightlifting team's coach that a mix up in dietary supplements by their Chinese supplier was reason why 11 out of the 14 members of the team tested positive in a surprise doping test are coming under fire by large sections of the Greek media.

After a out of competition raid by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on 7 March traces of methytrelione, an anabolic substance 1000 times more powerful than testosterone were found, according to the Greek Nea newspaper. However, yesterday, Mixalis Dimitrakoploulos, lawyer for Greek weightlifting coach, Christos Iakovou, claimed that the results had been caused by a mistake in the order sent the team's dietary supplements by the Shanghai based, Auspure Life Sciences Co. Mr Dimitrakopoulos has claimed that the company involved has sent an email apologising for the "tragic mistake".

However, the email has raised more questions than it answers since it makes no direct mention of the banned substance nor has any reference to its recipient. Only the name Su Li was mentioned without any reference to the position this person holds in the company. Mr Dimitrakopoulos, in a press conference reported in the NEA newspaper, repeatedly refused to name the person, who is simply referred to as "Dear Customer" in the email.

The Greek national pharmaceutical organisation (EOF) has also cast doubts on the claims of a mix - up arguing that if the company had included highly toxic substances such as methytrelione in their dietary supplements they would have been obliged to send out an international alert and start a product recall.

Also a search of the headquarters of the Greek Weightlifting Federation in Athens by the Hellenic anti - doping organisation, ESKAN failed to find any official documentation showing that the supplements had passed through Greek custom checks nor any signs of its packaging. This raises the question of why a supplement readily available in Greece was instead illegally imported from China

According to in.gr the Greek team has not given up hopes of still taking part in the Olympics in August. There is hope that the IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) will follow the precedent set in Iran in 2006 when nine of the national team's eleven members were tested positive in a doping test. However, the country's top weightlifter, Hossein Rezazadeh, who tested clean was allowed to compete in the Dominican Republic a few days afterwards. Such a possibility would allow up and coming Greek weightlifter, Nikos Kourtidis to compete in Beijing.

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Greek Olympic weightlifting team in doping scandal

11 out of a total of 14 members of the Greek Olympic weightlifting team have tested positive for banned substances according to the BBC (see here for story). The story came to light after a surprise check by WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) that took place in Agia Kosmas on 7 March just before the national team' departure for Germany.

Christos Iakovou, the team coach has been suspended by the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation and has handed in his resignation. It should be noted that since Iakovou took charge of the team for the 1992 Barcleona Olympics Greece has won 12 medals, including five golds.

If the athletes also test positive in the second round of tests then the Greek team risks being excluded from both the Beijing Olympic games and the European weightlifting championship in Italy in two weeks time.

The Hellenic Weightlifting Federation issued the following announcement;

The Hellenic Weightlifting Federation announces that in a sudden doping check carried out by WADA under the orders of the IWF, out of competition, 7 March 2008, 11 out of the 14 samples taken from male and female Greek athletes were found positive. An examination of the B samples will be sought exactly in accordance with regulations. Consequently, the governing board will convene a special committee of enquiry in order to examine the issue. "

According to reports by NET channel the remaining three athletes were not present at the training sessions due to injury.

The magnitude of the scandal raises questions over why neither the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation nor the Hellenic Council Against Doping have not found evidence of illegal substance use earlier. Kostas Natsis, honourary president of the Sports Medicine Association of Greece argued that the country is the world's number one user of anabolic steroids when interviewed yesterday on Greek TV.

However, Greek officials interviewed by the state run NET channel have argued the the positive results were caused by the Greek team's use of Chinese Aminoxl, which they claim is not forbidden.

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