ATHENS, Jan 18: Greece’s 2004 Athens Olympic 20km walk champion Athanasia Tsoumeleka has tested positive for the bloodbooster erythropoietin (EPO), the state broadcaster Net reported on Saturday.

The broadcaster said she had tested positive on Aug 6 last year, just two days before the opening ceremony for the Beijing Games.

In a statement, the 27-year-old Tsoumeleka, who finished ninth in last year’s Beijing Games, denied taking the drug but said she had decided to retire from the sport.

“I will not get involved in the process of defending myself, even though I have never knowingly used this substance, because in order to take part in races I have to accept that I am totally responsible for anything that is found in my sample,” she said.

The president of the Greek Athletics Association, Vassilis Sevastis, told the Athens News Agency that he did not have any comment to make and that “the athlete’s statement says it all.”

Last year Greek 400 metres hurdler Fani Halkia, who also won gold at the Athens Games, was banned for two years after testing positive for the steroid methyltrienolone.

Male sprinter Tassos Gousis was also suspended for two years after a positive test for the same

steroid.—Reuters