Epic embarrassment tempered the patriotic pride Greece felt on the opening day of the Athens Olympics yesterday as two of the country’s hero athletes were given extra time to explain why they missed a dope test.
Sprinter Kostas Kenteris and training partner Katerina Thanou, the 100-meter silver medalist in Sydney, were in the hospital recovering from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident Thursday night hours after they failed to show up at the Olympic Village for drug tests.
Yesterday, on the day they were to appear for a disciplinary hearing, the International Olympic Committee gave them a 72-hour postponement and set a hearing for Monday.