Greece's first Athens Games medallist, weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis, has tested positive for a banned substance.

Local reports said that Sampanis, bronze medallist in the men's 62kg category, was tested positive for the steroid testosterone in the first sample.

His coach Christos Iakovou confirmed the positve result, saying "I received the notification that said Sampanis had tested positive for testosterone in his first sample" and another report said that Greek team's chef de mission Ioannis Papadogiannakis was informed by the World Anti-Doping Agency for the positive test.

However, there is no immediate comment from the International Olympic Commitee (IOC) or the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). And it is not clear if the latest drug failure was a pre-Olympic test conducted by the IWF or an IOC after- competition screening.

The latest doping scandal has brought the number of positives in weightlifting to eight and the lifter's bronze medal could be stripped of and go to Jose Israel Rubio of Venezuela.

The other lifters tested positive are Wafa Ammouri of Morocco, Nan Aye Khine of Myanmar Morocco, Pratima Kumari Na and Sanamachu Chanu of India and Sule Sahbaz of Turkey in the women's side as well as Moldovan Victor Chislean and Zoltan Kecskes of Hungary on the men's side.

Sampanis was quoted by local reports as saying that a high level of naturally produced testosterone led to the positive test.

However, a top weightlifting official reacted furiously to the report, saying that "fundamental questions have to be asked, I am bloody annoyed about this," said the long-time member of the IWF, who asked not to be named.

"I want to know how come this guy who tested positive was allowed to compete. If he failed an IWF (out of competition) test how come we did not stop him getting on the stage and winning a medal. This has brought the sport into disrepute.

"I need to ask whether he was tested by us before the competition and if so was it negative. Also, if he did not get tested before the Olympics why not - these are fundamental questions."

The official said he would be raising the questions at an emergency meeting of the IWF to be held later Friday.