Athletics: Olympian in disgrace

A Greek prosecutor has charged Olympic champion race walker Athanasia Tsoumeleka with using an illegal performance-enhancing drug. The offence carries a maximum two-year jail sentence.

Tsoumeleka tested positive in January for CERA, an advanced version of the blood-booster EPO.

The 27-year Tsoumeleka won the 20km walk at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She tested positive in a retesting of a sample she provided two days before the Beijing Olympics. A back-up sample also came back positive.

Tsoumeleka denies knowingly using the substance.