Shot Put Champion Tests Positive to Steroid

Russian shot put gold medallist Irina Korzhanenko is under investigation for a positive drug test after traces of the banned steroid stanozolol was found in her sample.

Russian Olympic Committee spokesman Gennady Shvets has confirmed that the back-up B sample was now being analysed to validate the result.

"Nobody can believe that this is actually happening," Shvets said. "We are looking into it at the moment."

Nikolai Durmanov, the head of the Russian Olympic Committee's anti-doping body, said: "The International Olympic Committee has begun the process of withdrawing the medal. We are very disappointed."

News of Korzhanenko's positive test was celebrated by the World Anti-Doping Agency chief, Dick Pound.

"That's good," said Pound. "If we got another one (cheater), that's great. It shows that you can't go to Ancient Olympia and screw around and get away with it."

Another female shot putter, Uzbekistan's Olga Shchukina, tested positive in a pre-event screening for the steroid clenbuterol. She finished 19th and last in her qualifying group, and was expelled from the games on Friday by the IOC executive board.

Korzhanenko will face a hearing before a disciplinary commission of the International Olympic Committee. If found guilty of a doping violation, she would be stripped of the medal and expelled from the games.

Korzhanenko won with a throw of 21.06 metres - the first throw over 21 metres in four years.

If disqualified, the gold would go to Cuba's Yumileidi Cumba Jay. Germany's Nadine Kleinert would move up to silver, and Russia's Svetlana Krivelyova to bronze.

In 1999, Korzhanenko was stripped of the silver medal at the world indoor championships for a doping violation. She won the world indoor title in 2003 in Birmingham, England, and placed fourth at last year's world outdoors in Paris.

Confirmation of Korzhanenko's positive test came on the same day Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis became the first athlete of the Athens Games to be stripped of a medal because of doping.

Sampanis lost his bronze medal in the 62kg category after testing positive for testosterone.

So far, nine weightlifters, including Sampanis, have failed drug tests. A Kenyan boxer was also sent home after a positive test.