The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Wednesday they were powerless to take action against world 400 metres champion Jerome Young despite allegations of a positive doping test.

The American was alleged by the Los Angeles Times last month to have failed a test for the steroid nandrolone before the 2000 Sydney Olympics but was still cleared to compete by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) without informing the IOC.

He went on to win a 4x400 metres gold medal and last month also took the 400 metres title in the Paris world championships.

"There is no legal action that can be taken by the IOC. It's under the authority of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). We are asking the IAAF and the USOC to reconsider (the case)," IOC director-general Francois Carrard told reporters on Wednesday.

"We desire this should be done as quickly as possible."

The item was one of the first on the agenda for the IOC's executive board's three-day meeting.

Earlier this month, Dick Pound, president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), called for an investigation by the IOC, but Wednesday's meeting in Lausanne ruled that it was powerless to intervene after consulting its lawyers.

It would now be up to the IAAF to re-open the case but athletics sources thought that unlikely.

Young has denied ever committing a doping offence.