HellenicAthletes.com
Weightlifting: Drug cocktail reportedly found in Greek lifters - UPDATE 2
By Christopher Galakoutis
Sunday, April 6 2008 4:25:38 PM
More details have emerged in the doping scandal that has once again rocked Greece, as well as news this morning that the "B" sample results are expected next Wednesday.
Three types of substances have reportedly been detected in the 11 Greek weightlifters whose “A” samples came back positive.
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The first is reported to be methyltrienolone, a potent anabolic steroid. This particular substance had been linked in the late 1960’s to as many as 200 deaths, due to high toxicity of the liver, and was withdrawn a few years later. The second substance is reported to be an opiate, used to purge the body of the drug-addiction tendencies of methyltrienolone. |
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The third is reported to be an estrogen suppressor, which resembles testosterone.
The Greek side, however, is arguing that the responsibility lies with a Chinese company that had been supplying the team with supplements.
Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, the lawyer for head coach Christos Iakovou, who is expected to speak on Monday, has issued a statement from Iakovou of blanket denial, saying that neither the coaches, athletes or team pharmacologists had any knowledge of the illegal substances, and said that the team had used the Chinese supplements since before last year’s world championships in Thailand, and passed several tests -- laying the foundation, it would appear, on a tainted shipment defense.
In addition, Greek officials have said the team passed doping tests on the 7, 8 and 9th of February while training in Cyprus, and on the 25th and 26th of February at Agios Kosmas in Athens. They point to the athletes’ cheerful and laxed mood on March 7th while undergoing the tests, implying that the athletes had nothing to hide.
Each of the implicated athletes was called into federation headquarters to give a statement early Sunday morning. Also giving his statement was assistant coach and Atlanta silver medalist Valerios Leonidis, who was the only member of the team to make any comment.
“We are all trying to figure out what has happened and find out where the error lies. Let’s not condemn before a complete investigation is done. We will know more on Monday,” he said.
Nikos Skiadas, president of the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation, said in a statement that those responsible would be severely punished.
Iakovou had to deal with a personal tragedy early Friday morning as well, when his elderly father passed away only hours after the team head coach learned the news of the positive drug tests. Several team officials were present at Saturday’s funeral in a show of support, including the retired great Pyrros Dimas. “In these difficult moments I wanted him to know that I was by his side. I see him as my father, having been with him more years than with my own father,” he said. Notably absent was Yiannis Sgouros, the former president of the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation and current IWF official.
Dimas, in his regular column for the Greek daily GOAL NEWS, also on Saturday, wrote that he would have more to say when all the facts were known. But he added, “this is, perhaps, the worst moment in the history of Greek weightlifting. A moment that shines a light, in a tragic way, on the problems in the growth and operation of the sport.”
updated Monday 7:20 AM EDT
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Chris Galakoutis is the managing editor of HellenicAthletes.com. He can be reached at info@hellenicathletes.com
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