TORINO 2006 OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES, Feb 10-26

[craddock]

Czech sports trickster gate crashs Olympics: report Fri Mar 3, 12:30 PM ET

PRAGUE (AFP) - A Czech sports trickster reportedly took part in last month's Winter Olympics after borrowing a starting number from a Japanese competitor.

The Czech daily newspaper Sport carried a photograph of 38-year-old Josef Panuska from the Turin games wearing number 365 in the men's 50km cross country skiing event.

Panuska then surprised race organisers and the police when he arrived at the finishing line after 7 hours and 54 minutes with the stands long emptied of spectators.

Among Panuska's previous antics was his participation in the 2004 Athens Olympics marathon, which he completed in 5 hours 18 minutes.