DES MOINES (AP) - One year ago, federal agents from Des Moines arrived at Arnold Schwarzenegger's annual bodybuilding contest in Columbus, Ohio, to serve subpoenas to appear before a grand jury investigating steroids.

That investigation led to the indictment in Des Moines of two well-known bodybuilders, including a former Mr. Universe with ties to the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative, the San Francisco business at the heart of the steroids scandal involving elite athletes.

While bodybuilders prepare to compete in this weekend's Arnold Classic in Ohio, two past competitors, Milos Sarcev and Dennis James, are preparing to face trial on charges they conspired to import steroids from Thailand.

A third man, Admir Kantarevic, a 33-year-old personal trainer from Des Moines, is charged with conspiracy and possession of anabolic steroids with the intent to deliver. He is the only link between Sarcev and James to Des Moines.

Their trial, already delayed at least twice, has been pushed back to March 28 in federal court in Des Moines.

The case is being watched closely by the bodybuilding community, which complains it is being targeted. A felony conviction could doom the careers of James and Sarcev, who have competed around the world.

Sarcev, of Temecula, Calif., designed training workouts for some athletes that went to BALCO, whose founder, Victor Conte, is accused of distributing illegal performance enhancing drugs to more than 30 baseball, football and track stars.

Sarcev has said he designed a workout regimen at Conte's request for world champion sprinter Tim Montgomery, who holds the world record in the 100 meters but has come under suspicion of steroid use, among others.

Sarcev's lawyer, Leon Spies of Iowa City, declined to discuss his work for BALCO but said: "He's been engaged in athletic training and sports nutrition in California and established a great reputation in both national and international circles."

Sarcev, 41, won the Mr. Yugoslavia crown in 1986 and 1987 and Mr. Universe two years later. He owns a Golds gym in Fullerton, Calif.

James, nicknamed "The Menace," finished eighth at last year's Mr. Universe contest in Las Vegas, where he was served with papers notifying him of the grand jury indictment.

"Dennis is a professional bodybuilder. He's not involved in importing steroids," said Paul Scott, a lawyer for James.

Neither James nor Sarcev are among the competitors at this year's Arnold Classic, which runs from Friday until Sunday. The annual event named for Schwarzenegger, a five-time Mr. Universe, is considered one of the most prestigious in bodybuilding.

The event features 14,000 athletes competing in 20 events. Schwarzenegger, now governor of California, plans to attend to hand out awards to the winner of the bodybuilding contest.

Over the weekend, Schwarnegger told ABC News that he had no regrets about using steroids during his years as a bodybuilder, noting they were legal at the time and taken under a doctor's supervision.

Arnold Classic organizer Jim Lorimer said he was amazed when federal narcotics agents from Des Moines showed up last year to serve subpoenas on bodybuilders. The move came four months after federal agents searched Sarcev's home in California, seizing his computer and other records.

Kantarevic has lived in Des Moines for several years. The indictment says that Kantarevic possessed steroids on April 9, 2003, and that he conspired to import them from Thailand, where James has a home.

Prosecutors say a box containing steroids was mailed to Kantarevic, who said he is innocent.

"It's been really bad for me. I feel like I've really been slapped in the face," Kantarevic told The Associated Press in a brief telephone interview. "It's affected my business, my life, everything."

Judge Ronald E. Longstaff last week delayed the trial from March 7 after Spies said he needed more time to review investigation reports and other documents recently provided by prosecutors.

Spies also has filed a motion seeking a copy of a monitored phone call between Sarcev and one of the co-defendants, which is "deemed critical to the prosecution and the defense," the motion said.