after all.

It was yesterday disclosed that Bulgarian Nikolai Raev tested positive for amphetamines and faces a two-year suspension and loss of the bronze medal he won in the World Indoors at the Toronto SkyDome last month.

Raev and Wellman both jumped 17.27 metres (56 feet, eight inches) but the Bulgarian won the medal because his second best jump went farther than Wellman's.

Frenchman Pierre Camara won the gold medal while Maris Bruziks of Latvia claimed the silver on his fifth jump. Wellman had to settle for being one of the next best, as he did in finishing fifth at the Olympics, after leading all qualifiers after the first day.

But yesterday's dope test revelations, which also indicted bronze medal-winning long jumper Daniel Ivanov, have changed the picture considerably. The International Amateur Athletic Federation informed Bulgaria's national federation of positive tests late last week.

"We received a letter from the IAAF on Thursday that the first dope test of our athletes, carried out in the Toronto laboratory during the world athletic championships, proved positive,'' said Konstantin Zhalov, vice-president of the Bulgarian Athletic Federation.

If the second back-up dope test proves positive, the two athletes would forfeit their medals and face two-year bans from competitions.

"There is no place for drugs in sport,'' said Wellman from the Unversity of Arkansas yesterday. "It's a cheap way to get it (a bronze medal) but I blame myself for not winning it and probably setting a world record on my last attempt.

"I am not going to be satisfied with it. If a guy cheated to get where he got it makes no difference to me, it all shows up in the end. Ninety percent of the guys who do drugs don't stay at the top for long.'' Raev's coach Chavdar Chendov said: "This is either a provocation, misdirection to some medicines or a mistake, which could be found with the second dope test.'' Doping is a highly sensitive issue in Bulgaria following their weightlifters' shame at the 1988 Olympics when two gold medallists were stripped of their titles and the entire team was sent home in disgrace.

Wellman's coach Gerry Swan, on his way back to Bermuda from the CARIFTA Games in Martinique, said: "I am all for athletes being suspended if they are caught. Our athletes work too hard in limited circumstances and less than ideal facilities.'' Wellman added: "I took a long time to get to this point. If I keep getting PRs (personal records) in every meet I'll get to the top and I'll be there clean.'' BRIAN WELLMAN -- Belated bronze medal?