Women's shot put champion Irina Korzhaenko of Russia has failed a drugs test, reports said Sunday.

"I think it was steroids, but that will be announced later," Arne Ljungqvist, president of the IOC's medical commission, told the French news agency AFP.

Korzhaenko was stripped of the 1999 World Indoor title for drugs offences.

The shot put competition was held to the north of Athens at Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympics, and was meant to be a showpiece of the Games.

"It's very sad and it tarnishes what was intended to be a very symbolic event," said Ljungqvist.

Uzbek women's shot putter Olga Shchukina was expelled from the Games on Friday after failing a drugs test.

And Yanina Korolchik of Belarus, Olympic champion in Sydney, is currently serving a drugs ban.

If Korzhaenko is disqualified, the gold would go to Cuba's Yumileidi Cumba Jay.

The news comes on the same day that Greek weightlifter Leonidas Sampanis was stripped of his bronze medal.

Sampanis tested positive for twice the allowed amount of testosterone.