3 Feb 2009

Greek athlete to be punished for positive drug test

12:38 pm on 3 February 2009

The Greek athletics federation SEGAS says the second urine sample for former Olympic champion Athanasia Tsoumeleka was positive for bloodbooster EPO and the athlete will be punished.

The 27-year-old Tsoumeleka won the 20-kilometre walk in the 2004 Athens Games and finished ninth in the 2008 Beijing Games.

Before the Beijing Games last year, Tsoumeleka tested positive for erythropoietin and has since announced she will retire from the competition.

The 27-year-old says she will not try to excuse herself, even though she has not knowingly made use of the substance.