Smoking gun threatens Greek team

There were calls for the Greek Olympic team to be recalled from Atlanta after some players allegedly became violent on their transatlantic flight following a dispute over a no-smoking ban.

At least two players "reacted very badly", according to an airline official, when ordered to put out cigarettes on the non-smoking flight on Tuesday. The pilot radioed for security guards to meet the flight from Athens when it touched down in New York, and players were spared arrest only by the intervention of the Greek ambassador.

"I call on the government to immediately recall the team because it humiliated us internationally and undermined our national esteem," the former sports minister Vassilis Papageorgopoulos said. "They must understand good manners come first and medals follow."

Andreas Fouras, the sports minister, said he was looking into the incident and would take "strict measures" if needed to safeguard the reputation of Greek sport.