Posted: October 19, 2004

Drugs in Sport: Agencies - Greek Journalist, Witness In Doping Probes, Attacked

By Bob Ramsak, Track Profile

(c) 2004 Track Profile all rights reserved TrackProfile.com

Two motorcycle helmeted attackers stabbed and beat a Greek sports journalist yesterday, a key witness into federal investigations probing doping scandals in Greece, Reuters reported today.

Filippos Sirigos, sports editor at the major daily Eleftherotypia, is in stable condition, with stomach and head wounds after being stabbed multiple times and beaten with crowbars Monday afternoon in Central Athens.

Sirigos, who has written about corruption in Greek soccer clubs and doping allegations in track and field and weightlifting, was among the witnesses called by prosecutors investigating the cases of Greek sprinters Konstantinos Kederis and Ekaterini Thanou who withdrew from the Olmypic Games following missed doping tests. Sirigos was sued for libel by Gianna Angelopoulos, President of the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee, after a series of stories were published that alleged her involvement in several sponsorship programs.

"This was an attempt to kill him," Eleftherotypia editor Serafim Fintanidis told Reuters. "This was not an attack to scare him, it was an assassination attempt."