Kenteris and Katerina Thanou argued in court Monday that the IOC had targeted the pair, and backed claims that they were in a motorcycle accident while rushing to a doping test.
Christos Tzekos, charged with supplying banned substances, denied any wrongdoing. The hearing was dominated by the alleged accident involving Kenteris and Thanou on the eve of the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The sprinters, who have been charged with perjury over their accident claim, did not join Tzekos at the Athens court.
The sprinters - both medalists at the 2000 Sydney Games - are accused of staging the crash on August 12, 2004, hours after they missed a doping test. The pair subsequently withdrew from the Athens Games, and have denied the misdemeanor charges.
Tzekos said Monday that he came under pressure from the International Olympic Committee after the incident to withdraw the runners from the games, where they had been host Greece's main medal hopes.
"At every Olympics, they pick somebody and make a huge issue of them," Tzekos told the court. "This time it was us that they chose."
He did not elaborate.
Tzekos said Kenteris and Thanou turned up at his home shortly before the alleged accident, and insisted on borrowing his motorcycle to get to the Olympic Village - although they had already missed a deadline for a doping test.
"I told (Kenteris) not to go, but he said he wanted to get there fast," Tzekos said. "At the time, all the media were saying that the pair were trying to dodge doping controls.
"(Kenteris) was Greece's best athlete, and would not put up with people saying such things about him."
The trial started in January after four years of postponement. It will resume March 28, when both Kenteris and Thanou are expected to testify.
source: AP
