Suspended jail terms for Greek sprint duo

GREEK sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou were given suspended jail terms yesterday for faking a motorcycle accident on the eve of the 2004 Olympics after missing drug tests.

The Sydney Olympic medalists, who were not present in court, immediately appealed the 31-month sentences for making false statements even though they are unlikely to actually serve time in prison.

Kenteris and Thanou said they were involved in the accident after missing a dope test on the eve of the 2004 Athens Games - causing a major scandal for the host nation.

"The court finds that this accident never occurred," presiding judge Dimitris Lefkos said in Athens yesterday, while reading out the verdict.

The runners' coach, Christos Tzekos, was sentenced to 33 months in jail. Tzekos was also found guilty on charges of distributing banned substances.

Seven state hospital doctors who treated the athletes and two witnesses to the alleged crash were handed sentences of between six and 15 months. All the sentences were suspended.

But Kenteris' lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos maintained his client's innocence. He said: "This ruling is a legal stain on the (justice] system which I am certain will be wiped clean at the appeal.

Earlier, in a courtroom outburst, the lawyer said his client had been denied leniency routinely awarded to dangerous criminals.

"It is simply unbelievable to refuse any mitigating circumstances to Olympic champions. That is granted to drug dealers and felons," he said.

"And now we have this decision for two athletes as if they have not offered anything to the country. It is disgraceful and I am ashamed for my country."

The trial by a panel of three judges began on 12 January following at least eight postponements over several years. Thanou testified on 28 March, protesting her innocence and insisting that the accident had occurred, while Kenteris never appeared.

Tzekos was present yesterday but left before the sentences were announced, without making any statement. "We believe justice was not served or delivered," Maria Kevga, lead lawyer for Tzekos and Thanou, said. "Today, unfortunately, justice showed itself to be blind to the truth. During this entire procedure, there were no evidence heard that proved that the athletes of Mr Tzekos faked an accident."

Greek legal experts said it was highly unlikely that any of the defendants could go to prison, because they all have no prior convictions and are not considered a danger to the public. If an appeals court upholds the convictions, they are likely to pay a fine instead of spending time in jail, the experts said.

Thanou, now 36, won silver at the Sydney Olympics in the 100 metres.She served a two-year suspension after the Athens Games but was barred from participating in the 2008 Beijing Games under an IOC rule excluding athletes considered guilty of improper conduct or of bringing the Olympics into disrepute. In several interviews, she has indignantly denied the claims made against her, noting that she has never tested positive for an illegal substance. Kenteris, now 37, won gold in the 200 metres at the Sydney Games. He did not return to competition after his two-year suspension.