Silver lining for sprinter Thanou

Controversial Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou has been awarded a 100 metres

silver medal from the 2001 World Championships in Edmonton after the disgraced

Marion Jones was stripped of all her medals having admitted use of the banned

steroid THG.

Jones came second in Edmonton but all her results since September 2000 have

been expunged.

However, Thanou received a two-year suspension after missing a third drug test

on the eve of the 2004 Olympics and the International Association of Athletics

Federations were reluctant to award her the medal.

"Legally, we had no other choice," IAAF spokesman Nick Davies told BBC

Sport.

"There was no evidence of Thanou committing any doping offence during the

period in question, which leaves us with no alternative but to award the medal

to her."

Thanou's lawyer Gregory Ioannidis said: "It is a fair and just decision which

equally respects the rights of the individual athlete and of the sport."

The International Olympic Committee is yet to decide how to re-allocate Jones'

five medals from the 2000 Olympics, which could see Thanou awarded gold after

she finished behind the American in the 100m in Sydney.