Greek weightlifters doping

Nikos Kourtidis (pictured during last year's Olympics) , who won two gold medals in the men's 94-kg category, and Konstantina Lapou, who took silver in the women's 58-kg, tested positive for an as yet unspecified substance.

The 'A' samples for Kourtidis, 23, and 19-year-old Lapou were taken before the competition began on June 1.

A federation spokesperson confirmed the identities of the athletes after federation president Pyrros Dimas had earlier issued a statement announcing the positive tests.

"I have been informed that two athletes in our Mediterranean Games team have returned positive first sample tests in doping controls that were completed on June 1, that is to say 30 days before the current competition," said the statement.

"All the controlling mechanisms therefore, just before the end of the Mediterranean Games, informed us of the positive samples after our athletes had competed."

The federation will await the results of the 'B' samples of both athletes before any potential disciplinary action is taken.

The news is as another blow to Greek weightlifting.

In March 2008, the sport was rocked when 11 members of the national weightlifting team were banned from competition after testing positive for banned substances.

Before Wednesday's announcement, three more cases had already been confirmed in 2009 with the athletes receiving two-year bans.