Test found Wade used illegal substance.(Chicago Tribune)

Byline: Philip Hersh

SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ Larry Wade, a leading contender for the 2004 U.S. Olympic team in the high hurdles, has tested positive for a "banned performance-enhancing substance," sources familiar with the case told the Chicago Tribune on Thursday.

Norandrosterone, a metabolite of three anabolic steroids, was found in Wade's urine sample at a meet earlier this season. A metabolite is part of the chemical reaction related to the presence of steroids in the body. Doping control considers a metabolite evidence of a steroid.

Details about where and when the positive test occurred or whether both parts of the sample had been tested were not …