Tribunal needs more time to consider Greek sprinters

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said yesterday it needs more time to consider the cases of Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou.

A panel sat for 10 hours in Lausanne on both Friday and Saturday hearing evidence as Kenteris and Thanou sought irreversible acquittals on three missed doping tests.

But CAS said yesterday that there had been insufficient time to hear all witnesses.

"The arbitration was adjourned and a second hearing will be scheduled soon by CAS in order to terminate the evidentiary proceedings and to hear closing arguments," a CAS statement read.

The two sprinters caused the biggest doping scandal since Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson tested positive for steroids at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when they failed to turn up for a doping test on the eve of the Athens Games last year.

Still banned pending the CAS ruling, the sprinters were initially cleared by the Greek athletics federation (SEGAS) of any wrongdoing in March.

Kenteris and Thanou have said they did not avoid the test on August 12 inside the Olympic village and that a subsequent alleged motorcycle accident that sent them to hospital for four days was not faked.

Athletics world ruling body IAAF, angered by the sprinters' acquittal in March, lodged an appeal, saying Kenteris, a 200m gold medallist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and Thanou, who won silver in the 100 at the same Games, should be banned for two years.

Their lawyer, Grigoris Ioannidis, told Reuters in an interview in June both sprinters would be vindicated at CAS.

"All of the evidence shows no guilt. The athletes are waiting for their vindication because the IAAF has no evidence to find them guilty," he said.

The sprinters face separate criminal charges in Greece for the bike crash and for allegedly avoiding the tests, while their coach at the time has been banned by SEGAS for four years for his involvement in the case.

The pair, favourites for a medal in their disciplines, voluntarily withdrew from last year's Athens Games, shocking Greeks who had snapped up all tickets for their races well over a year before the Games.