Athens - Controversial Greek sprinter and drug suspect Kostadinos Kenteris quit the Olympic Games on Wednesday with his dramatic gesture overshadowing the eagerly-anticipated pool duel between swimming greats Ian Thorpe and Pieter van den Hoogenband.
Kenteris, the reigning 200m champion and training partner Ekaterini Thanou, the 100m silver medallist from Sydney, both walked out on their Olympic dream just moments after emerging from an IOC inquiry which could have expelled them from the Games.
Both athletes had been under suspicion since last Thursday when they missed a mandatory drugs test and then were involved in a bizarre motorcycle accident which left them hospitalised for five days.
"In the interests of the country I am withdrawing from the Games," said the 31-year-old Kenteris.
Thanou then followed Kenteris's lead.
"I apologise to the Greek people for not being able to participate in the Games. It's very difficult to withdraw from the Olympics, especially if they take place in one's own home country," Thanou told reporters.
On the busiest day of the Games so far, where 21 golds will be decided, Greece was transfixed by the fate awaiting the two runners.
Classic confrontation
Games organisers will be looking to Thorpe and world record holder Van den Hoogenband to put on a classic confrontation in the 100m freestyle final with the Australian seeking to pull off an unprecedented 100m, 200m and 400m Olympic treble.
One thing is for sure - there will no American winner with the US team failing to qualify a man fore the finals of the blue riband event for the first time in history.
Also in the pool, Japan's Kosuke Kitajima is one of the favourites for the men's 200m breaststroke while America's Kaitlin Sandeno is a tip for the women's 200m butterfly title.
After a poor start, the Americans are now second in the medals table with six golds behind China's ten and will be looking to add to their collection in the historic setting of Olympia where the Games were first held 1 619 years ago.
In an inspired piece of marketing, the men's and women's shot put competition has been shifted from the spanking new Olympic Stadium in the centre of Athens to Olympia in the south.
Germany's 1996 Olympic gold medallist, and three times world champion Astrid Kumbernuss, was probably wishing it had not switched as she failed to make it out of the qualifying round.
Amongst the other highlights Wednesday will be gold medal clashes in the men's and women's cycling time trials where Australia's Michael Rogers will be hoping to make the most of David Millar's absence.
The Briton was hit with a two-year ban for taking the banned performance enhancer EPO.
