Sporting Digest: Athletics

THREE Nigerian athletes face bans after failing drug tests at their national championships on 17 June. Ime Akpan, the women's 100 metres hurdler, was banned for four years, pending a hearing by the Nigerian federation. Two other athletes, Godfrey Okugbe and Vivian Chukwuemeka, are in line for suspensions of four years and three months respectively.

ERIK DE BRUIN, the Dutchman who won the discus silver medal at the 1991 World Championships, is looking at a four-year ban after testing positive for testosterone at the IAAF grand prix in Cologne on 1 August. De Bruin did not appear for yesterday's qualifying round in the World Championships at Stuttgart.