The coach of five Brazilian athletes who failed out of competition doping tests ahead of this month's World Championships has taken responsibility for dispensing an illegal substance to the runners.

"I assume the blame for having allowed the drug to be administered," coach Jayme Netto, of the Rede Atletismo club, told Brazilian media after the party returned home from Germany on Wednesday, where they had been training for the competition.

"I'm the culprit not the athletes. Everyone has the right to make an error and I erred," he said.

The Brazilian Athletics Confederation (CBAt) announced that two coaches were under suspension pending a hearing.

According to a CBAt statement earlier, sprinters Bruno Lins Tenorio, Jorge Celio Sena, Josiane Tito and Luciana Franca, and heptathlete Lucimara Silvestre tested positive for the banned substance Recombinant EPO.

The CBAt said the five had asked for the B sample to be tested and would return home.

"The athletes - who are banned from taking part in competitions until the results of the respective counter-tests are known - are returning home, accompanied by their coaches and prefer to present their defence in (their own) country," the statement said.

"Due to the seriousness of the incident, the CBAt has ordered an administrative inquiry."

Netto said the substance was given twice to each athlete through stomach injections.

Club president Jorge Queiroz de Moraes, speaking alongside Netto, said the athletes were the real victims.

"I'm absolutely certain the athletes are victims. They did not know what they were taking," De Moraes said.

"But the two coaches did know. That's deplorable. It was a huge shock."

Netto trained Tenorio, Sena and Silvestre. The other two were under Inaldo Sena at the same club. The dope tests were carried out in Presidente Prudente, Brazil on June 16.

Tenorio was in the Brazil team which finished fourth in the men's 4x100 metres relay at the Beijing Olympics last year while Tito and Silvestre also competed at the Games.

Netto coached the Brazil 4x100 relay team that won the silver medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.