Fani Chalkia

{{Infobox sportsperson

| image =

| caption =

| native_name = Φανή Χαλκιά

| native_name_lang =

| birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|df=yes|1979|02|02}}}}

| birth_place = Larissa, Greece

| height =

| weight =

| country = {{GRE}}

| sport = Athletics

| event = 400 metres hurdles

| coach =

| highestranking = 1st

| pb = 52.77 sec

| medaltemplates =

}}

Fani Chalkia ({{langx|el|Φανή Χαλκιά}}, {{IPA|el|faˈni xalˈca|}}, born 2 February 1979), also transliterated as Halkia or Khalkia, is a retired Greek hurdler.{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/kh/fani-khalkia-1.html |title=Fani Khalkia |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203103156/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/kh/fani-khalkia-1.html |archivedate=3 December 2016 |accessdate=18 November 2017}} She won an Olympic gold medal in the women's 400 m hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Biography

Chalkia was born near the city of Larissa on 2 February 1979.{{Cite web|url=https://worldathletics.org/news/news/from-premature-retirement-to-olympic-gold|title=From premature retirement to Olympic gold|work=World Athletics|date=2 November 2004|access-date=9 April 2025}}

=2004 Olympics=

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens Chalkia participated in the women's 400 m hurdles. During the semifinals she set a new Olympic record in the event,{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/athletics/3589256.stm|title=Halkia sends Greece wild|work=BBC News|date=25 August 2004|access-date=9 April 2025}} which was the sixth fastest time ever. In the final she finished in 52.82 seconds, winning the gold medal more than half a second ahead of second-placed Ionela Târlea and bronze medallist Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova.{{Cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2004/SPORT/08/25/olympics.athletics/|title=Halkia win sends Athens crowd wild|work=CNN|date=26 August 2004|access-date=9 April 2025}}

=2008 Olympics=

On 16 August 2008, during the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing it was announced that she had tested positive for the banned substance methyltrienolone.{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-Olympics/idUSPEK33245220080816 |title=Greece's Halkia fails test: officials |publisher=Reuters |date=16 August 2008 |access-date=30 December 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/athletics/7566017.stm |title=Greek champion fails drugs test |publisher=BBC News |date=17 August 2008 |access-date=13 February 2012}} Chalkia denied she had taken any banned substance, and asked for her 'B' sample to be tested, which also tested positive the next day.{{cite web |url=http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1355.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908065609/http://multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_1355.pdf |archive-date=8 September 2008 |title=IOC DISCIPLINARY COMMISSION DECISION REGARDING Ms FANI CHALKIA |website=Olympic.org |publisher=International Olympic Committee}} On 26 November 2008, the Greek Athletics Federation announced that she would serve a two year ban from the sport effective from August when Chalkia was expelled from the 2008 Summer Olympics.{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/instant-article/idUKLR13053120081127 |title=Athletics-Halkia banned for two years for steroid use |publisher=Reuters |date=27 November 2008 |access-date=7 August 2021}}

=Doping conviction=

In 2015, a Greek court convicted Chalkia of intentional doping and handed her a seven month jail sentence, suspended pending an appeal; this appeal was successful as on 19 February 2016, Chalkia was unanimously acquitted by the Athens Court of Appeal of all charges for the intentional use of banned substances.{{cite web |url=https://www.si.com/uncategorized/2016/02/19/ap-ath-doping-halkia |date=19 February 2016 |access-date=7 August 2021 |publisher=Sports Illustrated |title=Greek court clears hurdler Halkia of intentional doping}} The court ruled that the former champion had fallen victim to a circuit of adulterated drugs, and also acquitted her trainer Giorgos Panagiotopoulos, who was facing charges of intentionally supplying banned substances.{{cite web |url=https://www.contra.gr/sports/apokleistiko-athoa-i-fani-chalkia.7293000.html |title=ΑΠΟΚΛΕΙΣΤΙΚΟ: Αθώα η Φανή Χαλκιά! |date=19 February 2016 |access-date=7 August 2021 |publisher=Contra.gr}}

Personal bests

class=wikitable
Date !Event !Venue !Performance
22 August 2004 \|400 meters hurdles \|Athens, Greece \|52.77 s (OR){{cite web \|url=http://athletix.org/?p=275 \|title=Greek all-time list, women \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203012740/http://athletix.org/?p=275 \|archive-date=3 December 2013 \|url-status=usurped \|website=Athletixorg}}
12 September 2004 \|400 meters \|Berlin, Germany \|50.56 s (NR)
6 March 2004 \|400 meters (indoor) \|Budapest, Hungary \|51.68 s (NR){{cite web \|url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/greece/fani-halkia-135236 \|title=Faní Halkia \|website=IAAF.org \|publisher=International Association of Athletics Federations \|access-date=18 November 2017}}
24 June 2007 \|200 meters \|Munich, Germany \|23.30 s

class=wikitable

Date

!Event

!Venue

!Performance

22 August 2004

|400 meters hurdles

|Athens, Greece

|52.77 s (OR){{cite web |url=http://athletix.org/?p=275 |title=Greek all-time list, women |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203012740/http://athletix.org/?p=275 |archive-date=3 December 2013 |url-status=usurped |website=Athletixorg}}

12 September 2004

|400 meters

|Berlin, Germany

|50.56 s (NR)

6 March 2004

|400 meters (indoor)

|Budapest, Hungary

|51.68 s (NR){{cite web |url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/greece/fani-halkia-135236 |title=Faní Halkia |website=IAAF.org |publisher=International Association of Athletics Federations |access-date=18 November 2017}}

24 June 2007

|200 meters

|Munich, Germany

|23.30 s