| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Φανή Χαλκιά |
| Born | (1979-02-02)2 February 1979 (age 46) Larissa, Greece |
| Sport | |
| Country |  Greece |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | 400 metres hurdles |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Highest world ranking | 1st |
| Personalbest | 52.77 sec |
Fani Chalkia (Greek:Φανή Χαλκιά,[faˈnixalˈca], born 2 February 1979), also transliterated asHalkia orKhalkia, is a retiredGreekhurdler.[1] She won an Olympic gold medal in thewomen's 400 m hurdles at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Chalkia was born near the city ofLarissa on 2 February 1979.[2]
At the2004 Summer Olympics inAthens Chalkia participated in thewomen's 400 m hurdles. During the semifinals she set a new Olympic record in the event,[3] 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-placedIonela Târlea and bronze medallistTetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova.[4]
On 16 August 2008, during the2008 Summer Olympics inBeijing it was announced that she had tested positive for thebanned substancemethyltrienolone.[5][6] Chalkia denied she had taken any banned substance, and asked for her 'B' sample to be tested, which also tested positive the next day.[7] On 26 November 2008, theGreek 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.[8]
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.[9] 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.[10]
| Date | Event | Venue | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 August 2004 | 400 meters hurdles | Athens, Greece | 52.77 s (OR)[11] |
| 12 September 2004 | 400 meters | Berlin, Germany | 50.56 s (NR)[11] |
| 6 March 2004 | 400 meters (indoor) | Budapest, Hungary | 51.68 s (NR)[12] |
| 24 June 2007 | 200 meters | Munich, Germany | 23.30 s[11] |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Women's 400 m Hurdles Best Year Performance 2004 | Succeeded by |
