Two top athletes who competed in last month's International Race Weekend - both believed to be prize-winners - have failed drug tests.

The bombshell was dropped on event organisers, Bermuda Track and Field Association, three weeks' ago and the matter is now in the hands of athletics' world governing body, the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) who have informed both runners that the ‘A' sample of their test had aroused suspicion.

The IAAF refuse to use the word ‘positive' until analysis of the runner's ‘B' sample is complete.

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies confirmed in an e-mail from the organisation's headquarters in Monaco yesterday that one athlete under investigation was European and the other South American.

He said neither the IAAF nor the BTFA were at liberty to release any further information until the investigation was complete and results of the ‘B' test confirmed.

However, a huge cloud of suspicion will hang over the head of Brazilian marathon winner, Luis Carlos Ramos, who was the only entrant from South America to finish among the prizes.

Ramos successfully defended his title in the gruelling 26.2 mile race, holding off Morocco's El Aloui Boubker by just 23 seconds to win in 2:21.23. That would have entitled him to a first prize cheque of $3,000.

Several leading European athletes competed during the three-day festival, including Russia's Dmitry Maximov who first won the 10K and then returned a day later to romp to victory in record time in the half-marathon.

Other Europeans included Elite Mile winner James Thie of Wales, England's Kathy Butler (third female in the 10K), Holland's Neals Strik (third male in the half-marathon), Russian marathoners Fedor Ryzhov (third male) and Zinaida Semenova (second female) as well as ladies' marathon champion Elena Makolova of Belarus.

Of the hundreds of runners who took part in the four races, some 24 were selected to take tests, specifically for performance-enhancing drugs.

The testing was carried out by Benedict Associates on behalf of the Bermuda Council for Drug Free Sports and the results analysed at a laboratory in Montreal, Canada.

BTFA president Judith Simmons confirmed yesterday that her association had been informed earlier this month of the results of the ‘A' test.

“What happens now, the athletes have to be given the opportunity to have the ‘B' sample tested before it becomes public,” she explained.

“If the ‘B' test comes up positive, they would be stripped of their prize-money and it would go to the next person down.

“This is normal procedure. The money has been withheld. In fact, we haven't paid out any prize-money pending results of the drug tests.”

International Race Weekend offered $25,000 in prize-money this year as well as bonuses for record performances.

Davies said the lab findings were “currently under investigation” and “in the confidential phase”, according to IAAF rules.

“The IAAF received a copy from the relevant laboratory that two athletes had returned adverse results,” added Davies.

“We use the word ‘adverse' because it is neither positive nor negative until the investigation is further advanced.

“Because the lab simply furnishes code numbers of the athletes - no names or nationalities - this more detailed information was requested and obtained from the organisers of these races.

“Therefore, the Bermudian federation has cooperated fully by supplying these details to us on request - we received them last week - and also by maintaining confidentiality.

“The reason for this is to protect the reputation of the athletes until such time as the case can be proved against them. This is for obvious reasons since if there is an adequate explanation, or if errors are found in the procedure or the ‘B' test does not confirm the ‘A' test, then the athlete has not tested positive and the case will be dropped.

“It would be totally unfair to reveal the names of the athletes at this stage - have their reputations damaged in the media - and then say ‘sorry, there's been a mistake.”

Davies said the national governing bodies of the two athletes under suspicion had been informed and had requested an explanation from each runner.

“And that's where we stand at the moment,” he said. “We wait to receive the explanation from the athletes and also to hear whether they request the ‘B' test analysis. Only when the result of the ‘B' test is known and confirms the ‘A' test does the confidentiality phase officially end.”

Davies explained that the maximum period of delay between notification of the adverse finding and the ‘B' sample analysis was three months.

Should the ‘B' tests also prove positive, names of the guilty runners would be revealed some time in April.

Austin Woods, chairman of the Bermuda Council for Drug Free Sport, was off the Island yesterday and unavailable for comment.