Positive test clouds record of Olympic medallist Meyer

Elana Meyer, who marked South Africa's return to the Olympic family with a 10,000 metres silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games, faces major embarrassment in the twilight years of her career after testing positive for a banned stimulant.

The 36-year-old showed an excessive amount of caffeine in a sample given after she had finished third in a 10,000m road race in Bali on 2 February. The level was 15 milligrams per litre, above the 12-milligram limit.

If the second analysis of her sample confirms the first, Meyer will be liable to a public warning and will have her result in Bali annulled.

Meyer, who is suspended pending a hearing, denied "in the strongest possible terms" she had broken the rules. "I have no way of knowing how this caffeine count could have happened," she said. "On the morning of the event, I drank only one cup of hotel coffee, which was the only substance I took which could have contained caffeine." Meyer, who holds 15km and half marathon world records, added: 'I will not hesitate to protect my reputation and integrity."

In England a professional footballer faces investigation after refusing to take a drugs test. The player, who has not been named by the Football Association, refused to take a test between January and March this year. A report by the drug-testing body, UK Sport, stated: "The player has been interviewed by the FA and an investigation is on-going."

Four rugby union players and three rugby league professionals tested positive for banned substances in the first quarter of this year.

Two of the rugby league players tested positive for steroids. One is Halifax's Australian player, Dane Dorahy, who escaped with a reprimand for use of stanozol after a disciplinary panel accepted his explanation that he had retired and had been given the substance as part of his medical treatment in Australia before making a comeback.

The other player, who tested positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone, has been given a six-month ban but suspended for six months. The Rugby Football League has not released his name "on medical advice".

None of the four rugby union players represent Zurich Premiership sides. Three of the quartet tested positive for stimulants of the sort contained in cold cures; two are under investigation and the other, who has not been named, was suspended for 14 days in March.

The fourth was the South African Andre Barnard, who refused to take a test while playing for Blackpool Fylde and was banned for two years.