Disgraced Olympic discus champion Robert Fazekas has changed his mind about retiring after the Hungarian athletics federation banned him for only a year for a doping offence.
Fazekas was stripped of the gold medal he won in Athens in August for tampering with his doping sample.
The federation banned Fazekas and Olympic hammer champion Adrian Annus, also stripped of his gold for doping, for two years on September 30. Both athletes appealed.
The 29-year-old Fazekas announced his retirement on Tuesday to avoid an expected two-year ban. Hungary's news agency MTI reported the federation had in fact reduced the ban to a single year.
Annus's two-year ban was rescinded on Thursday. The athlete announced his retirement after winning the gold in Athens and initially refused to return his medal.
Olympic officials said his urine samples had shown evidence of belonging to two different athletes.
Both athletes are due to have hearings at the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport in February.
They want the International Olympic Commitee decisions annulled and their gold medals returned.
Source: Reuters
26.11.2004