MONACO (Reuters):

AN ATHLETE failed a drug test at the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart in September, athletics' world governing body said yesterday.

IAAF general secretary Pierre Weiss did not name the athlete who had tested positive at the two-day meeting, which had a US$3 million prize pot.

"It will be announced shortly," he said.

Weiss said there had been no other positive tests at other major competitions in recent months, including August's world junior championships in Beijing, September's World Cup in Athens and October's world road running championships in Hungary.

On the second day of the IAAF Council meeting in Monaco, he said that of the 2,347 tests conducted this year up to October 23, both in and out of competition, 39 had been positive.

Also at yesterday's Monaco meeting, the IAAF downgraded the annual Athens Super Grand Prix meeting to Grand Prix status partly because of poor spectator attendance in July.

Weiss added that the annual Helsinki Grand Prix would not be held in 2007.