THE TWO Greek sprinters who withdrew from the Athens Olympics in a high-profile doping scandal were yesterday proclaimed innocent of any offence which would result in suspension from athletics.

The Greek Athletics Federation, SEGAS, announced that Konstadinos Kenteris, 31, and Ekaterini Thanou, 30, had been cleared on charges relating to missing three doping tests, in Tel Aviv and Chicago, and on the eve of the Games themselves, in Athens.

The SEGAS verdict paves the way for a tide of litigation, warned Christos Tzekos, the athletes' coach, who was banned for four years.

It is the second time in his career that he has been disciplined as his athletes escaped punishment. In 1997, in Dortmund, he physically prevented a doping officer from testing athletes including Thanou.

Costas Panagopoulos, head of the five-member SEGAS panel, said that the sprinters were exonerated by a 4-1 vote.

"The athletes were found not guilty on all charges, " he said.

"The allegations were not substantiated."

Kenteris's legal adviser said the athlete "should now be given the opportunity he deserves to rebuild his career in the full knowledge that there is no stain on his character".

The world governing body of the sport, the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF), was stunned by the verdict, but has not seen the written judgement.

The organisation, which heard the news as it prepared to host a gala dinner last night at the world cross-country championships in St Etienne, had suspended the pair on December 22.

Nick Davies, spokesman for the IAAF, said: "We were very surprised to hear the decision.

Now we will wait to receive the case documentation and have it translated into English.

"Our doping review board will then study it, and will either accept or reject the finding. If we do not agree, the case will be sent to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)."

The CAS has the power to impose a two-year suspension and its verdict is binding.

Doping controls at the Athens Olympics were under the jurisdiction of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) rather than athletics chiefs. That no longer applies, but there will inevitably be speculation that the IOC failed to make its case adequately.

Giselle Davies, IOC spokesman, said of the ruling last night: "We have to remember the IOC were in the middle of pursuing its disciplinary hearing when the two athletes themselves chose to surrender their accreditation.

"From that moment on, by their own choice, they excluded themselves."

Tsekos, who has served a two-year suspension for colluding at test avoidance of his athletes, said: "The decision is very good, but someone has to pay. They say I was informed about the test and the athletes were not. I can live with that."

The couple were the most high-profile athletes representing the host nation. Kenteris was due to light the f lame at the opening ceremony and was expected to win a medal in the 200m. Thanou was one of the favourites for the women's 200m title.