Drugs: Hunter tested positive on four occasions - IOC

American shot putter C J Hunter, husband of track star Marion Jones, tested positive for a banned steroid four times since June, the International Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday.

IOC Medical Commission chief Alexandre de Merode said Hunter had tested positive for nandrolone three times in addition to a positive test at an Oslo meeting which was announced on Monday.

"The tests were over a period in June and July.

"There were three out-of-competition tests in addition to the Oslo test and they were nearly all the same level and nearly the same result," de Merode told reporters.

Hunter tested positive out of competition in Rome, Barcelona and Oslo, as well as the positive in competition in Oslo.

His Oslo test registered levels of nandrolone 1000 times above the IOC's limit.

The revelations threw an even bigger shadow over Jones' bid to win five gold medals during the Sydney Games.

With the 100 metres sprint already won, Jones is also bidding for gold in the 200 metres, the long-jump and two relay races.

IOC representative on the World Anti-Doping Authority Johann Koss said the US Track and Field team had only itself to blame if Jones' bid for five gold medals was derailed by her husband's positive drugs tests

Hunter withdrew from the Olympics before they got underway, citing injury, but he is in Sydney supporting and coaching Jones.

Koss said the United States tried to conceal Hunter's dope tests and was to blame for the announcement coming in the middle of Jones' Olympic campaign.

"I should think this is affecting her a lot to prepare for the rest of the Games and I think that's unfair for her," the former Olympic speed skating champion told Australia's Channel Nine.

"But I think the US Track and Field should have released this a long time before this happened so this wouldn't happen now just during the Games."

Koss said it would be unfair to cast aspersions on Jones just because her husband had tested positive.

"These are two totally different cases," he said.

"Marion Jones is under a lot of pressure now and certainly she is totally innocent and she has no relation to his positive case and I think this is very clear."

- REUTERS