By Amy Tennery
PARIS (Reuters) – Greek pole vaulter Eleni-Klaoudia Polak was disqualified from the Olympics and handed a provisional suspension at the Paris Games after she tested positive for banned substances, the IOC said on Wednesday.
The Greek Olympic Committee said on Tuesday that one member of its team was expelled from the athletes’ village but her identity was previously unknown.
The team had been informed of the violation by Greece’s anti-doping agency on Monday, the same day she competed in the qualification round.
Polak cleared a height of 4.20 metres but did not reach Wednesday’s final as she failed to get over 4.40. She was listed as “DQ” in the results.
Polak said she was innocent of any wrongdoing.
“A few days ago something was found in my sample,” she told reporters in the mixed zone after competing in the preliminary round on Monday.
“I have never taken supplements or protein. It was below the level of what is banned so that is why I competed. I have an issue with iron and have to eat red meat daily and that must have been in the meat. I only know that the meat contained that substance.”
Iraqi judoka Sajjad Sehen, Afghan judoka Mohammad Samim Faizad and African Games boxing champion Cynthia Ogunsemilore of Nigeria have tested positive in Paris.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery and Karolos Grohmann, editing by Ed Osmond)
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