BUCHAREST- Two female Romanian 1,500-metres runners have been dropped from the country's Olympic team under suspicion of doping, the head of the national Olympic and Sport Committee (COSR) said on Thursday.

"Elena Antoci and Cristina Vasiloiu were dropped from the Romanian Olympic delegation as both are under suspicion of doping," COSR head Octavian Morariu told reporters.

"Both stay at home."

Morariu said samples from both athletes showed too high a concentration of haemoglobin in their blood.

"We are waiting now, together with the Romanian Athletics Federation (FRA), for the results of the second sample in order to decide the (period of the) suspension," Morariu said.

Earlier this month, Liliana Popescu, the fastest women's 1,500 metres runner this year, was dropped from the country's Olympic team under similar circumstances.

No result of Popescu's second sample has been released so far.

"The FRA will not include any athlete in the Romanian delegation who might test positive for banned substances, in order not to risk breaking the strict anti-doping legislation," FRA head Sorin Matei said earlier this month.