The Russian news agency All-Sport claims that Belarus hammer throwers Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tikhon, the silver and bronze medallists behind the Slovenian winner Primož Kozmus, both tested positive after the event for testosterone.

 

They base their claim on information they have allegedly received from the World Anti-Doping Agency.

 

Devyatovskiy, 31, faces a life ban from the sport if the report is true as he previously tested positive for anabolic steroids in 2000 and served a two-year ban.

 

The 32-year-old Tikhon has won the last three World Championships, in 2003, 2005 and 2007, and also won a Olympic silver medal four years ago in Athens after he was upgraded following the disqualification of winner Adrian Annus when he refused to turn up for a drugs test.

 

If the results areconfirmed the silver medal from Beijing will go to Hungary's Krisztian Pars and the bronze to Japan's Koji Murofushi.

 

It is the second occasion that Murofushi has been upgraded.

 

In Athens he was declared the winner after Annus' disqualification.