Ekaterini Thanou
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| Medal record | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Women's athletics | |||
| Olympic Games | |||
| Silver | 2000 Sydney | 100 m | |
| World Championships | |||
| Silver | 1999 Sevilla | 100 m | |
| Silver | 2001 Edmonton | 100 m | |
| World Indoor Championships | |||
| Gold | 1999 Maebashi | 60 m | |
| European Championships | |||
| Bronze | 1998 Budapest | 100 m | |
| Gold | 2002 Munich | 100 m | |
| European Indoor Championships | |||
| Gold | 1996 Stockholm | 60 m | |
| Gold | 2000 Ghent | 60 m | |
Ekaterini (Katerina) Thanou (Greek: Αικατερίνη (Κατερίνα) Θάνου, IPA: [ekateˈrini ˈθanu], born February 1, 1975) is a Greek sprinter.
Thanou won the silver medal in the women's 100 m at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. With Marion Jones admitting to steroid use prior to and during the Sydney Olympics and having her gold medal withdrawn by the International Olympic Committee, Thanou may have her silver medal upgraded to gold despite her own controversial past.
In 2002 she won the 100 m gold medal at the European Championships in Munich.
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[edit] Suspension
For the 2004 Summer Olympics, Thanou was one of the main hopes of the home crowd for winning an athletics medal. However, on the day prior to the opening ceremony, Thanou and her training partner Konstantinos Kenteris failed to attend a drugs test, and later the same night were hospitalised, claiming they had both been injured in a motorcycle accident. In the ensuing doping scandal, Kenteris and Thanou announced their withdrawal from the Games on August 18 after a hearing before the Disciplinary Commission of the IOC, for what they described to be "in the interests of the country." An official Greek investigation into their alleged accident, ruled that it had been staged.
The missed test in Athens was the duo's third violation of the summer and they were consequently provisionally suspended by the IAAF on 22 December 2004. In June 2005, however, the athletes were cleared of all charges by the Greek athletics federation. Their coach Christos Tsekos was blamed for the missed tests and suspended for four years, but was cleared on separate allegations of distributing banned substances. After a long legal battle, on 26 June 2006 prior to a final ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the athletes reached an out of court settlement with the IAAF accepting anti-doping rule violations of 3 missed tests between 27 July and 12 August 2004 (in breach of Rule 32.2(d)) and a failure to provide a urine and a blood sample on 12 August 2004 (in breach of Rule 32.2(c)). In return, the more serious charges against them, those of evasion and refusal to provide a sample, were dropped.[1] They have been eligible to compete since 22 December 2006.
On her return to international competition at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham, England, she was booed by the crowds before finishing 6th in the final.
Following the revelations about Marion Jones's use of steroids, Thanou, who finished 2nd behind Jones in the 100m at Sydney 2000, is in line to be awarded the American's gold medal. Due to Thanou's own tainted record the IOC have been reviewing their legal options to punish Jones without rewarding Thanou. Certain circles have applauded this approach while others have been harshly critical.[2]
[edit] Personal bests
Outdoor
| Date | Event | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 22, 1999 | 100 m | Sevilla, Spain | 10.83 |
Indoor
| Date | Event | Venue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 7, 1999 | 60 m | Maebashi, Japan | 6.96 |
[edit] Achievements
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | World University Games | Fukuoka, Japan | 2nd | 100 m |
| 1997 | World University Games | Sicily, Italy | 1st | 100 m |
| 1998 | European Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 3rd | 100 m |
| 1998 | European Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 4th | 60 m |
| 1999 | IAAF World Indoor Championships | Maebashi, Japan | 1st | 60 m |
| 1999 | IAAF World Championships | Sevilla, Spain | 3rd | 100 m |
| 2000 | European Indoor Championships | Ghent, Belgium | 1st | 60 m |
| 2000 | 2000 Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 2nd | 100 m |
| 2001 | IAAF World Championships | Edmonton, Alberta | 2nd | 100 m |
| 2002 | European Championships | Munich, Germany | 1st | 100 m |
| 2003 | IAAF World Championships | Paris, France | 4th | 100 m |
| 2004 | Greece National Championships | Greece | 1st | 100 m |
| 2007 | European Indoor Championships | Birmingham, Great Britain | 6th | 60 m |
