The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced last night that "several" American athletes have tested positive for a designer steroid in what it described as the largest drug bust ever in the sport.
USADA Chief Executive Officer Terry Madden would not name the athletes whose "A" samples had tested positive for the steroid tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) nor the number of athletes involved.
"We have strong belief there are international athletes involved as well," he said. "I know of no other drug bust that is larger than this, involving the number of athletes we have involved . . . certainly in the anabolic steroid area."
The positive samples were found in the retesting of 350 doping tests at June's US championships and 100 later out-of-competition tests, Madden said.
Several positive samples for the stimulant modafinil also were found in the testing, Madden said.
World 100 and 200 metres champion Kelli White of the United States tested positive for the same stimulant at August's world championships and may lose her gold medals as a result.
Madden would not say whether any of the athletes who tested positive for the steroid THG competed in the world championships.
But he noted that all of the athletes with positive tests for the steroid would be subject to a two-year ban and would be ineligible for next year's Olympics if their 'B' samples are also positive.