Athanasia Tsoumeleka

Athanasia Tsoumeleka (Greek: Αθανασία Τσουμελέκα, [aθanaˈsia tsumeˈleka]; born 2 January 1982 in Preveza, Greece) is a Greek race walker, who won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She was named the Greek Female Athlete of the Year for 2004.

Born (1982-01-02) 2 January 1982 (age 44)

Preveza, Greece

Country Greece

SportAthletics

Event

20 km walk

Quick facts Personal information, Born ...

Athanasia Tsoumeleka

Personal information
Born	(1982-01-02) 2 January 1982 (age 44) Preveza, Greece
Sport
Country	Greece
Sport	Athletics
Event	20 km walk
Achievements and titles
Personal best	1:29.12
Medal record Olympic Games 2004 Athens 20 km race walking

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Tsoumeleka gained notoriety in 2003 by placing seventh at the World Championships that year.^[1] She won the Olympic gold medal race held in her home country, beating Russia's Olimpiada Ivanova (silver medalist) and Australia's Jane Saville (bronze medalist).^[1]

In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, she finished 9th in 20 km walk. After the end of the Games, a urine sample she gave on August 6th tested positive for erythropoietin when subjected to a new test for CERA.^[2] Tsoumeleka expressed doubts about the validity of the procedure, and then announced her immediate retirement from the sport.^[2] On 29 April 2009 it was announced that Tsoumeleka had tested positive for CERA in a test on a blood sample provided during the 2008 Olympics.^[3] Her "B" sample also tested positive for CERA.^[4] On 18 November 2009 the International Olympic Committee decided to disqualify Tsoumeleka from the Women's 20 km Walk event of the 2008 Olympic Games where she placed 9th.^[5]