Weightlifter Thassos Triandafilos (105kg), who was caught using illegal stimulants, was banned for four years from actively participating in all athletic events. At that time the tests of three Greek weightlifters were positive. Two of the athletes – Georgios Papadopoulos and Christina Filandrianou were caught during the national championship and banned for two years.

The third athlete, who back then was not mentioned by name, was tested positive during the European championship in Poland. All three of them have used the same stimulant – 4-metile-2-hexanamine.

According to the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation, the good side is that this new doping does not include anyone of the new national team, who is training in Cyprus under the supervision of Valery Leonidis.

The bad side is that athletes in the Greek weightlifting athletics continue taking illegal substances. Despite the great efforts of the new president of the Hellenic Weightlifting Federation and three times Olympic Champion Piros Dimas, the fight against illegal substances in the Greek bar bells is extremely difficult.

In a statement the federation says: “The problem with doping in sports is reality and everybody has the right to deal with it however they can. The Hellenic Weightlifting Federation is determined to cope with the situation with honesty, consistency and relentlessness until we fully eradicate the problem from our sport.”

The administration of the National Council for fight against doping undertook a fight against illegal substances, which aims to fully control all athletes.

The substance found in the blood of Thassos Triandafilou is the same as the one found in the Panathinaikos’ goal keeper Yakub Varvzinyak.

Despite this, the Polish soccer player was banned for three months and the 22 year old weightlifter for four years (!).