By Duncan Mackay

Ioulietta Boukouvala London 2012March 5 - Greece has suspended its top female judoka Ioulietta Boukouvala for 18 months for insulting referees and "making inappropriate comments concerning expatriate athletes".


The Greek Judo Federation (ESO) imposed the draconian penalty after the 29-year-old Boukouvala, the 2012 European silver medallist in the 57 kilogram category, disrupted the national championships, invading the mat, shouting at referees and insulting rivals.

Boukouvala is no stranger to controversy having also criticised match referees at last year's Olympics in London for not punishing Yurisleydis Lupetey after accusing the Cuban of biting her on the hand during the first round bout which Boukouvala surprisingly lost.

Ioulietta Boukouvala of Greece white competes with Yurileidys Lupetey Cobas of CubaIoulietta Boukouvala competes with Cuba's Yurileidys Lupetey during their controversial first round match at London 2012

"The officials and the technical team of the Games are responsible for judging, they must decide if she should have been penalised or disqualified from the match because she bit me," she told reporters at ExCeL.

"I feel that injustice was done, that I was robbed.

"What can I say, I could be wrong.

"God will be my judge."

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