Berlin, Thursday

KATRIN Krabbe's trainer is being investigated for causing bodily harm

and breaking pharmacy laws after the world sprint champion tested

positive for a banned stimulant, prosecutors said today.

Tuesday's disclosure that the world sprint champion and her team-mate

Grit Breuer took a steroid-related drug was the latest twist in a

long-running drug saga involving the two women.

It also came amid a rash of scandals at the Olympic Games involving

the drug Clenbuterol.

Bernd Sehmisch, chief public prosecutor in Krabbe's east German home

city of Neubrandenburg, told Reuters an inquiry had been launched

against Thomas Springstein after unidentified citizens had filed a

criminal complaint accusing the trainer of advising the sprinters to

take Clenbuterol as a contraceptive.

''If these accusations are proven, this could be considered bodily

harm,'' Sehmisch said.

Springstein said today he had obtained Clenbuterol without the

required prescription.

''This is my mistake that I didn't make myself aware (of the drug

rules) and didn't check with the right authorities. I feel guilty in

that I did not find out more about it,'' he told a news

conference.--Reuter.