Bermuda's name will not be tarnished in any shape or form as a result of two competitors testing positive for banned drugs while competing in this year's International Race Weekend.

At least that's the view of Bermuda Track and Field Association president Judith Simmons, who when questioned about the two-year international bans imposed on two-time marathon champion Luiz Carlos Ramos of Brazil and Dutch half-marathoner Nials Strik, said she didn't expect the news to adversely effect either the BTFA or the Island as a whole.

"No, definitely not. This doesn't tarnish the Island in any way," she said.

The two runners had samples tested at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) laboratory in Montreal, Canada after January's three-day running festival. Traces of nandrolone were found in Ramos' sample while Strik tested positive for cocaine.

Simmons said she believed the test results could even be seen as a positive.

"One thing it shows is that Bermuda is following the rules of the world governing body," she said. "However, what must be remembered is that Bermuda has had testing rules in place a long time, it's a continual thing.

"In fact, all of the athletes who come here for International Race Weekend, from the time we started drug testing . . . we have advised them on what we are doing and the contract that they sign indicates that they will be drug free and agree to be tested.

"All of that information and the requirements are in our rules . . . anywhere in the world, wherever you go you get tested.

"When our young athletes leave here for CARIFTA (Games), as young as they may be, they can be tested for drugs. So they are taught from there. This is nothing new, it's just that this is the first time that anybody has been caught while competing here."

Simmons reminded that drug testing had long been enforced by the BTFA, even before International Race Weekend began and she declared that the association were proud of their record.

Simmons said that the BTFA had taken careful steps to ensure that all of the young local athletes, such as those competing in CARIFTA, and their parents had been appraised of the policy of drug testing and made aware of the procedures.

When a young athlete suffered a cold, both the BTFA and their parents were careful to ensure that the correct medication was taken, she said.

"All of the parents call us to find out whether or not it is okay to give them medication for colds, etc. We have been teaching them for quite a while . . . there is no need for us to implement any additional steps, all of the steps are in place.

"We have even shown videos of how the test samples are collected, what is done so that they (the athletes) will not be afraid to take the test when randomly chosen to do so. When a male goes in for the test he is accompanied by a male official from the BTFA and similarly when a female is tested they have one of our female officials with her.

"Sometimes it may look like we have a lot of officials when we go to international events, but we have to have the people there to assist and support our athletes in case something like this happens."