Reuters reports a judicial source said that Greek sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou face a criminal investigation over missed drug tests and their motorcycle accident.
The source said Monday, “the State Prosecutor Dimitris Papangelopoulos has ordered two prosecutors to officially investigate the incident involving”, the sprinters and will report the findings to him.
He said the investigation would not only focus on the athletes already being investigated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) but on anyone who could have broken laws regarding doping tests. It would also examine the causes of their motorcycle accident, hours after missing the doping tests.
The source added, “this investigation includes athletes, federations or other officials who could have violated doping laws or who could have helped in the athletes’ avoiding a drugs test”.
The source said even false reports regarding the athletes’ whereabouts by the federation or any other official body would come under scrutiny.
Meanwhile the two sprinters got another delay Monday from the IOC panel that will decide whether they should be banned from the Summer Games.
The two remain hospitalized with cuts and bruises from the motorcycle accident.
Their lawyer asked the IOC Monday to push back the hearing for two more days, when the sprinters are expected to be out of hospital and able to testify.
Their coach, Christos Tsekos, who was also suspended, said Monday he wasn’t sure whether the sprinters would be physically able to participate in the Games, even if they’re cleared to do so. The track events start August 20.
