Helen Karagounis

A 400 metre runner who was a regular member of relay squads at major championships, Helen Karagounis (nee Thieme) was the European under 23 400 m champion in 2003. She ran in the Great Britain relay team that won the Europa Cup in 2002, won a silver medal with England at the Commonwealth Games later the same year and competed at the 2003 World Championships. At one point Karagounis was approached by the Greek athletics federation with a view to her representing her husband’s native country.

In February 2010 the IAAF announced that American Crystal Cox had her results annulled, due to an admission of doping, Cox ran in the heats of the 4×400 relay in Athens and IAAF rules state that in these circumstances Cox’s team has to be disqualified in normal circumstances. If the USA lost their gold medals Karagounis, who ran in the heats of the event, is in line to inherit an Olympic bronze medal. But in 2013, both the IAAF and the IOC announced that the result would stand and the American squad (except Cox) would be allowed to retain their gold medals and that they now considered the case closed.

Personal Best: 400 – 51.78 (2003).