Doping-tainted Greek sprinter Katerina Thanou has been barred from competing at the Beijing Olympics, the International Olympic Committee said on Sunday.

The International Olympic Committee's executive board took the decision after its disciplinary panel investigated Thanou's selection for women's 100 meters for the Greek team, IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies said.

Thanou and compatriot Kostas Kenteris missed doping tests on the eve of the 2004 Games' opening ceremony, claiming they were injured in a motorcycle accident.

The pair eventually withdrew from the games and returned their Olympic accreditations. The IOC did not sanction them at the time but they were later suspended for two years by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2008)