Thanou hopes dashed

Jacques Rogge, the president of the International Olympic Committee, yesterday all but ruled out the controversial Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou being handed one of the gold medals returned by Marion Jones. Thanou finished second as Jones won the 100m in the Sydney Olympics in 2000 but last month the American gave back all five medals she won at those Games after admitting using steroids. At the following Olympics in Athens, Thanou was unavailable for a drugs test and was then banned for two years. Rogge said: "We examine upgrading of each athlete on its own merits and we want them to be clean. Upgrading is not automatic. We have to be absolutely sure that they are clean."