French Olympic runner fails doping test

AFP - French Olympic Games 5,000m runner Hassan Hirt has tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO, a source with knowledge of the case said on Friday.

Hirt, who was eliminated in the heats of the event, failed a drugs test on August 3. He has been suspended by the French athletics federation and removed from the squad in London.

"The test was carried out on August 3 at Rouen (in northern France) where the athlete was based (before coming to the Games)," a French team source told AFP, confirming a report carried by sports daily L'Equipe on its website.

"We received a report yesterday (Thursday) which said that he had tested positive for EPO."

Hirt, 32, will now face a disciplinary investigation.