Greeks Drawn In

[gh]

Another thread on this post started recently but we have removed it because it goes against our copyright-violation policy, which says no full articles are to be posted from other sites.

This is a good piece by Duncan Mackay of the Observer, which can be found at this address:

http://sport.guardian.co.uk/athletics/t ... 84,00.html

[lefterisp]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

There is a response from the president of the Greek Federation on their webpage. I would translate it, but this is a USA media forum so I better not. He is very confident of the American justice system, nevertheless.

[MJD]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

>There is a response from the president of the Greek Federation on their
>webpage. I would translate it, but this is a USA media forum so I better not.

Pretty sure that they would like to think it is more of just a USA media forum. Why not translate it?

[MJD]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

>There is a response from the president of the Greek Federation on their
>webpage.

Is this the site?

http://www.segas.gr/en/c3/index-c3.asp

[MJD]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

Is this the
>site?

Well no MJD, this is:

http://www.athletix.org/

Comments from the coach and the president are on the right of that page.

[lefterisp]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

>>There is a response from the president of the Greek Federation on
>their
>webpage.

Is this the
>site?

http://www.segas.gr/en/c3/index-c3.asp

Yes. The statement is in the Greek section. More or less he says that this sounds just like another example of the propaganda against Greek sports. The e-mail in question does not really prove anything. He has faith that the American justice will do the right thing. If there is proof, then we can talk. Until then we should treat the matter with respect and seriousness.

[MJD]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

The quotes(as translated):

The prez:

"Obviously, it is one, of bad taste, repetition of anti-Greek propaganda
which attacks and difames the Greek athletics. The only real element is a
message, sent to a Greek coach. In principle, its content says nothing.
Let's leave the American Justice to do its job. If there are more facts,
we'll see what it is about. Till then seriousness and respect are required"

The coach:

"The Observer article with a reference to my name is nothing more than a
malign and coward attack against me. I do not even know, I have never
met, nor spoken nor related to the specific person. From towards on I'll
apply to justice against anyone that refers to my name with comments
that are fictional or slanderous."

[rmayes]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

It's not like of all the countries in the world everybody decided to pick on Greece. Even before this THG situation became public Balco listed Greece on their website as one of the national teams they've had as clients (along with Barry Bonds etc.). But also the group of athletes coached by Riz Tsekos including Konstantinos Kenteris and Ekaterina Thanou are notoriously difficult to locate for out of competition testing (didn't the IAAF actually file a complaint or something of that nature last spring or summer with the Greek athletic federation about just this issue). It's practically a running joke on many forums including this one. While it's not a requirement that the top track athletes in the world compete in grand prix meets, it almost defies logic as to why a defending Olympic champion would pass up the opportunity to make some money on the European circuit, especially when guys like Mo Greene are getting nearly 6 figure appearance fees. People are suspicious of this group of athletes because they behave suspiciously, not because everyone is out to get the Greeks.

[Konstantinos]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

With a statement today in the athletic newspaper Goalnews, the former athlete and current coach Andreas Linardatos admitted that he was the receiver of the Balco email, thus clearing any suspicions about Tzekos involvment. I wonder if the Observer will publish this info tomorrow as well..... :-)

About the "suspicious" behavior of Greek athletes.....

The treatment the top athletes and especially Olympic medal winner receive in Greece is quite different than the one in US, UK or elsewhere. Greece has a maximum of 2-3 sucesses of this level per season in track&field, not 20 like the US. This allows the state to award each winner with a lot of money. Kenderis, Thanou, Pirros Dimas in wightlifting were appointed in high rank positions in the Greek army, immediately after their success, and this only gave them a steady and permanent annual 5 digit income! Not to mention all the extra bonuses they get from the Sports ministry and Athletics Secretarial etc.

With such economic awards from the state, it's quite ovbious that Greek top-level athletes are in no need to wander around Europe, from meeting to meeting to earn more money. They only make the appearences necessary to be ready for the top- events without risking injuries.

Take for example P.Iakovakis last year. He was forced to compete in the whole Grand-Prix series to make some money, cause he had no previous sucesses in the past, and the money he dot for the state was very little. But after the bronze last year, he has gained nearly all the priviledges as the rest, so I am sure that this year his appearences will be less than half.....

Right from the next day of Kenteris triumph in Sydney I read, "suspicions" and "allegations" but absolutely NO PROOF! Some people (and countries) just don't know how to loose with dignity.....

[The Kitchen Cynic]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

Thou doth protest too much, methinks.

[jberger]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

"Right from the next day of Kenteris triumph in Sydney I read, "suspicions" and "allegations" but absolutely NO PROOF! Some people (and countries) just don't know how to loose with dignity....."

If it looks, walks, sounds and smells like a turkey, it's probably a turkey.

[rmayes]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

I don't even have a problem with some of the Greeks choices in the meets they compete in even though I still sincerely doubt the Greek federation can pay them even close to what an individual like Kenteris (an Olympic and World champion) could make running in some of the bigger grand prix meets. But this group has consistently made themselves difficult to locate for IAAF drug testers to the point the IAAF had to file a complaint with the Greek athletic federation. If these were US or athletes from any other country I would be slamming them as well, it just happens to be that it's a group of Greeks that are playing hide and seek with the drug testers which is more than a little suspicious. I was actually excited when Kenteris won the gold in Sydney. I never held any doubts about him until I found out he's been hiding from drug testers.

[jberger]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

"In 1997 the IAAF had banned Tzekos for two years after he manhandled a drugs control officer at a training camp in Dortmund while three of his athletes fled and escaped a random test."

So the IAAF should be sending some very fast running backs after these turkeys.

[RJMB_NSFB]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

Over the last 20 years it is well known that American athletes that have been found to have taken illegal substance only to be subsequently cleared by the national authorities. This activity has included American authorities holding internal trials, not disclosing names to positive readings to international authorities, which is illegal, then clearing those athletes and effectively wiping all connections to the athletes in question. Very convienient! So please look at problems in your own back yard before you highlight the Greek athletes. I think in this case the American situation can be seen to be a tip of the iceberg scenario. fron the UK.

[Asterix]

Re: Greeks Drawn In

>Over the last 20 years it is well known that American athletes that have been
>found to have taken illegal substance only to be subsequently cleared by the
>national authorities. This activity has included American authorities holding
>internal trials, not disclosing names to positive readings to international
>authorities, which is illegal, then clearing those athletes and effectively
>wiping all connections to the athletes in question. Very convienient! So please
>look at problems in your own back yard before you highlight the Greek athletes.
>I think in this case the American situation can be seen to be a tip of the
>iceberg scenario. fron the UK.

While I'm a non-American who doesn't think much of their past drug testing programs, I think you really should look at the way they are doing things now.

Drug testing and reporting is no longer done by the national governing body (USATF). Not only does USATF no longer have a monopoly on the names of athletes who've tested positive, but they've changed their internal rules with regards to reporting those names to relevant authorities.

"So please look at problems in your own back yard before you highlight the Greek athletes."

While not perfect, I think they've already met your stipulation of looking at problems in their own backyard. Have the Greeks done anything to change the way they operate?