Sampanis' stamps are collectors' item

Commemorative stamps featuring doped Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis stand to become a collectors' item after the Greek post's decision to withdraw the issue.

Commemorative stamps featuring doped Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis stand to become a collectors' item after the Greek post's decision to withdraw the issue because the athlete failed a drugs test.

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The Greek post office ELTA issues commemorative stamps of every Greek athlete winning a medal in the Athens Olympics the day following their success.

But the ELTA on Sunday decided to withdraw from circulation the Sampanis stamp issue after the athlete tested positive for a banned substance and had his medal withdrawn.

"The sale stopped on Monday," ELTA spokesman Kyriakos Vlastarakos told AFP.

Vlastarakos said he had no information on how many Sampanis stamps had been already sold between the day after Sampanis won his medal and Sunday.

According to the English-language daily Kathimerini, 136,000 Sampanis stamps have been issued.

The Greek post will not wait for doping results before issuing the next commemorative stamps. "We will continue to proceed as we have so far," Vlastarakos said.

ELTA rewards Greek athletes winning gold, silver or bronze medals in the Athens Olympics with 100,000 euros (124,000 dollars), 50,000 euros and 25,000 euros respectively.

"It's obvious that after the IOC decision to withdraw the Sampanis medal, he won't receive that money," Vlastarakos said.