A Latvian rower has become the fifth athlete to be kicked out of the Sydney Games after failing a drugs test.

Andris Reinholds, 29, tested positive for the steroid nandrolone after finishing eighth in the men's single sculls competition, the International Olympic Committee have revealed.

A random test of his urine during competition last week showed a nandrolone level four times above the allowable threshold.

Rowing officials from world governing body FISA said it would consider banning him for life, shattering the Olympic dream of Latvia's only rowing competitor.

Reinholds, a builder and engineer who is coached by his wife, lists his lifetime goal as "winning a medal at the world championships or at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games".

His best achievement was a fourth place in the 1997 World Cup in Paris which he matched in the Munich World Championships in the same year.

In Atlanta four years ago, he finished 10th in the single sculls and ninth in the double sculls.

FISA executive director Matt Smith said the IOC had considered the matter in a special hearing on Saturday night, while the executive board of the IOC's medical commission addressed it again on Sunday.

"The IOC addresses issues at the Games and all they can do is disqualify and exclude people from the Games," he said.

"Now it will go to FISA to go through our process and that will happen after the Games."

Rowing officials said drug offences were "extremely rare" in the sport.

IOC medical commission chairman Prince Alexandre de Merode said the Latvian delegation, who were not available for comment, were claiming the positive test resulted from using a Chinese herbal medicine.

Three Bulgarian weightlifters were stripped of their medals after testing positive for a banned diuretics and the entire Bulgarian team subsequently expelled last week.

And a hammer thrower from Belarus was thrown out after testing positive for steroids in an out-of-competition test.

Despite the positive tests, de Merode is convinced the fight against cheats is being won.

"I'm satisfied the fight against doping is going the right way," he said. "The cheats have to learn it the hard way."

So far 361 out-of-competition tests have been conducted. There have also been 260 blood tests and 1,073 in-competition tests.

AFP