Rome - Olympic road race silver medallist Davide Rebellin is among the six latest athletes who failed doping tests at the Beijing Olympics, Italian news reports said on Tuesday night. The Italian Olympic Committee confirmed on its website that one of its male athletes was among the six suspects, but did not identify the cyclist.

The International Olympic Committee announced earlier Tuesday that six athletes had submitted seven positives samples for the latest generation of the blood-booster EPO (CERA) at retests of the Beijing Games samples.

Lausanne, Switzerland - Six athletes have tested positive for the latest generation of the blood booster EPO at the Beijing Olympics, the International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday after retesting of Games' samples was completed. The IOC said that the six athletes submitted seven positive samples for the substance known as CERA.

The IOC did not identify the athletes but their national Olympic Committees have been informed of the adverse findings to set up the necessary proceedings.

Paris  - Vicent Kipruto of Kenya became the ninth-fastest man in marathon history on Sunday when he won the Paris Marathon.

Kipruto clocked a track record 2 hours 5 minutes 47 seconds as he held off Ethiopian Bazu Worka (2:06:15) and Kenya's David Kiyeng (2:06:26) in the French capital.

Only eight men led by Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie (2:03:59 in Berlin 2008) have been faster than Kipruto over the classic distance of 42.195 kilometres.

Amman, Jordan  - Florence Kiplagat ended a 15-year drought for Kenya at the cross-country running world championships on Saturday while Ethiopia got another win in the men's race from Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam.

Kiplagat came from behind to beat compatriot Linet Masai, who had built what appeared a decisive advantage in the closing stages, by three seconds in the 8-kilometres race.

Berlin  - The IAAF announced Saturday that it intends introducing stricter rules regarding false starts in sprint races but has so far decided against looking to impose sanctions on British sprinter Dwain Chambers over his autobiography.

Following its council meeting in Berlin, the IAAF's technical commission has recommended disqualifying sprinters by the first false start rather than only disqualifying the athlete responsible for the second one as is currently the case.