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Fearless IOC continues discriminating against Greek sprinter
By Christopher Galakoutis
| Tuesday, December 8 2009 5:32:38 PM |
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It has been widely reported today that the Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou will not, for the time being, be upgraded to the Sydney gold medal stripped from the American drug cheat Marion Jones.
Jones was stripped of her three gold and two bronze medals from the Sydney Olympics for using banned drugs.
We reported last August that the IOC had offered the gold medal to Thanou, on the condition that she admit guilt and take full responsibility for the Athens 2004 controversy surrounding three missed drug tests in the lead-up to the Games.
Thanou’s legal team scoffed at that offer.
There has been no evidence that Thanou did anything wrong in the lead up to Sydney.
Legal action against the IOC for discrimination, abuse of power and violation of human rights has not been ruled out, as HellenicAthletes.com has previously reported.
In the investigation that followed the Athens Olympics, the Greek athletics federation cleared Thanou and Kostas Kenteris of any wrongdoing, sanctioning their coach instead. The IAAF imposed a provisional suspension on the athletes following that ruling, while it appealed the Greek decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
However in the summer of 2006, following the commencement of hearings before the CAS but just prior to a final ruling on the matter by the tribunal, the IAAF withdrew its appeal after reaching an agreement with the athletes. The CAS erased the case from its register. The provisional IAAF suspension was lifted later that year in December, when the athletes were once again free to compete.
Gregory Ioannidis, who represents Thanou, has argued that, since the IAAF withdrew its appeal and CAS never ruled, his client was never issued any ban. Further, he argues that as a result, the decision at first instance -- that of acquittal by the Greek federation -- is the only decision in the case and the one that stands to this day.
The IOC's "get out of jail free" card may just be its standing behind rule 45.2 of the Olympic charter, on the grounds that Thanou had brought the Olympic movement into disrepute before the Athens Games -- a highly subjective claim, and, it could be argued, an easy way out. Such legal tactics are not uncommon in cases where all else fails and one is left with no solid legal standing.
We would encourage Ms. Thanou to take her case to court, and see it through as far as it will take her. If nothing else, it might expose the IOC’s use of highly questionable and oppressive tactics. "Sunlight is the best antiseptic," to quote the late U.S Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis.
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Chris Galakoutis is a business and sports writer, as well as the founder and managing editor of HellenicAthletes.com. He can be reached at Chris@hellenicathletes.com
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