Greek walker Athanasia Tsoumeleka's result in the 20km walk in the Beijing Olympics has been erased because of a positive doping test, officials said Wednesday.

Tsoumeleka, who won gold in the event in the 2004 Athens Games, placed ninth in Beijing but the Greek Olympic Committee (HOC) said that had been scrubbed by the International Olympic Committee.

The 27-year-old Tsoumeleka, who has already declared her intention to retire, is serving a two-year suspension imposed by the Greek athletics federation Segas and global athletics body IAAF.

The athlete failed an out-of-competition test conducted ahead of the 2008 Olympics, the HOC said.

The statement did not identify the illegal drug, but in April a source close to the investigation said it was a new form of banned blood booster EPO named MIRCERA.

Tsoumeleka had briefly retired in 2005 to have a child.