SYDNEY, Australia — Marion Jones' drive for five Olympic gold medals was overshadowed Monday by the news that her husband and coach, American shot-putter C.J. Hunter, failed a recent drug test.
After a day of unconfirmed reports and rumors, track and field's world governing body said Hunter tested positive for the steroid nandrolone and faced a two-year suspension if found guilty of a doping offense.
Istvan Gyulai, secretary-general of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, confirmed Hunter flunked a drug test but would not specify when or where the test was conducted.
Earlier Monday, however, IOC drug chief Prince Alexandre de Merode said an athlete tested positive for massive amounts of nandrolone at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway, on July 28. De Merode said he had not been notified of the athlete's name.
Hunter's positive test was disclosed just two days after Jones won the gold medal in the women's 100 meters, and two days before she is scheduled to run in the 200 heats. Jones is bidding for a gold medal sweep of the sprints, the long jump and two relays.
Hunter, the 1999 world champion in the shot put, is not competing in Sydney but is credentialed as an athlete while he acts as a coach for his wife.
"I know what's going on, and I am aware of the allegations and am going to defend myself vigorously," he said in a statement released to NBC.
Gyulai said he was sad Hunter's positive test came to light during the Games.
"I regret that this news is breaking when Marion Jones is running," he said. "It's terrible — whether it's true or not. It has nothing to do with the Olympics."
There have been no reports linking Jones to use of banned performance enhancers.
"This is an individual matter," said Francois Carrard, IOC director general, adding that Jones is not under suspicion. "If she does not test positive, we should not infer (guilt) from one individual to another."
The U.S. Olympic Committee said Hunter had been credentialed as an athlete while he was still on the team and had retained that credential "in an oversight."
USOC spokesman Mike Moran said that credential would be replaced Tuesday with a support staff pass and tickets that would still allow Hunter to coach Jones in training and at the stadium.
"We don't want to do anything that will upset Marion's emotional support," he said.
The IAAF said it was referring Hunter's case to USA Track & Field for investigation. If found guilty of abusing steroids, he would face a two-year ban, Gyulai said.
"At the moment, we cannot say this is a doping case," Gyulai said. "At this stage, what we can say is that he tested positive. We do not say he is guilty or not guilty. This is being investigated."
Craig Masback, head of USA Track & Field, confirmed that the IAAF referred an "eligibility matter involving an American athlete" to the federation. He refused to confirm or deny the athlete was Hunter, citing the organization's confidentiality rules.
Under USTAF rules, an American athlete who tests positive is not publicly identified or sanctioned until the hearing and appeals process is concluded.
The U.S. procedures are in conflict with IAAF regulations, which call for an athlete to be suspended immediately pending a hearing.
Masback said that no athlete who qualified for the U.S. Olympic track and field team tested positive in any U.S. meets, including none at the U.S. trials. He also said he knew of no other pending positive tests of U.S. athletes from the IAAF.
"No one who has qualified for the team and could have competed here had they wished tested positive in our system," he said.
But Masback acknowledged that there may be pending positive cases involving U.S. athletes who are not in Sydney.
Hunter finished second at the U.S. trials in June and at the Bislett Games, one of the elite "Golden League" meets in Europe, in July. But he withdrew from the U.S. team Sept. 11, eight days after arthroscopic knee surgery in North Carolina.
De Merode said the nandrolone sample from the Bislett Games was 1,000 times above the IOC's permitted level of 2 nanograms per milliliter of urine. He said he had never heard of such a high concentration.
But Jacques Rogge, vice chairman of the IOC medical commission, said such a high reading is possible when an athlete is tested within two days of a massive injection of the steroid.
Nandrolone helps athletes gain strength and muscle bulk by repairing the damage of high-level training and competition. It has been involved in hundreds of recent doping cases; some athletes and officials contend food supplements may trigger positive nandrolone tests.
The 330-pound Hunter had been among the favorites for a shot put gold medal in Sydney before his injury. Ranked No. 1 in the world last year after winning the world championship, he also was the bronze medalist at the 1997 world championships.