Resorting to the Ben Johnson sabotage defense, Greek hurdler Fani Halkia blames a malicious act for her positive M3 steroids test. (Edmonton Sun)
Disgraced Greek hurdler Fani Halkia blamed a "malicious act" by unspecified people for a failed doping test that cost her participation in the Beijing Olympics.
The 29-year-old Halkia insisted that she never intentionally used banned performance-enhancing drugs.
"The action attributed to me is a malicious act by third parties that I was unaware of," Halkia said in written testimony to Athens prosecutor Costas Simitzoglou.
Her coach, Giorgos Panagiotopoulos, echoed that claim.
The 2004 Olympic 400-metre hurdles gold medallist was expelled from the Beijing Games after testing positive for the steroid methyltrienolone during an Aug. 10 out-of-competition test in Japan. She was the 15th Greek athlete caught this year for using the steroid.
M3 is a particularly liver toxic steroid. Wonder how the third party injected the drug in her?
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