SPORTS

Oarsmen travel without Tsamis

Greek rowers will try to qualify for the Olympic Games in the last qualification event held in Poznan, Poland, from Sunday until next Wednesday. The Greek squad consists of nine rowers, but not double-skulls champion Yiannis Tsamis, who was found this week to have used a banned substance. On Monday the Hellenic Rowing Federation announced that Tsamis has tested positive for Finasteride, a substance widely used as cover for more serious drugs. The test result is definitive as the athlete has admitted to the use of the substance and has not requested that a second sample be tested. The 22-year-old rower claimed that the substance was an additive in a shampoo he used against hair loss. The national anti-doping agency ESKAN had tested Tsamis in end-April, as it is boosting checks ahead of this summer’s Olympic Games. Tsamis, along with Yiannis Christou, had surprisingly won gold in last year’s European Rowing Championship in Poznan.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.