BALCO scandal
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The BALCO scandal was a scandal involving the use of banned,
The
History of BALCO
Founded in 1984 by
Drugs distributed
Arnold combined a wide range of substances, that when used in a cycle could go relatively undetected by drug testing, even on the
.- Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hormone naturally produced by the kidneys that stimulates erythropoiesis. Originally used to treat anemia, when artificially introduced to the body, EPO stimulates an increased production of red blood cells, enhancing the body's ability to transport oxygen.
- Human growth hormone (HGH) is secreted by the anterior pituitary and is generally anabolic. In theory, this hormone builds muscle mass, although some studies suggest it has no effect on building muscle mass to a degree that would benefit athletes.
- Modafinil is a mild stimulant designed to be taken before competition in order to sharpen an athlete's senses and performance. Legally marketed as a treatment for narcolepsy and sleep disorders, modafinil is not regarded as a high-risk drug by athletic governing bodies, but is still banned from competition.
- Testosterone Cream or "The Cream" is a salve that when rubbed on the body introduces testosterone, trimming body fat and building muscle. Though less effective than testosterone injections, "The Cream" was widely used because it did not cause a significant rise in normal testosterone levels when scrutinized by a drug test.
- Tetrahydrogestrinone, THG, or "The Clear," is a designer anabolic steroid that affects the user like other anabolic steroids, making muscles bigger and stronger (it has the same effects of testosterone). THG was the main steroid distributed by BALCO, with the other products more of a regimen to heighten its effects in accordance with an individual athlete's requirements.[2]
BALCO investigation
Conte, Arnold and Anderson continued selling these substances undetected from 1988 to 2002 when the official federal investigation of BALCO began. Parallel with this investigation, the USADA began its own covert investigation of Conte and his operation. In the summer of 2003, USADA investigators received a syringe with trace amounts of a mysterious substance. The anonymous tipster was Trevor Graham, sprint coach to Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery.
The syringe went to Don Catlin, MD, the founder and then-director of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory, who had developed a testing process for the substance, tetrahydrogestrinone (THG). [3] Later that year, the Chicago Tribune named Catlin Sportsman of the Year.[4]
He tested 550 existing samples from athletes, of which 20 proved positive for THG. [3]
Athletes including Kelli White, British sprinter Dwain Chambers, Greek sprinter Konstantinos Kenteris, shot putter Kevin Toth, middle distance runner Regina Jacobs, and hammer throwers John McEwen and Melissa Price were subsequently incriminated in the investigation.[5]
Jason Giambi
The former
Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds, the former San Francisco Giants outfielder, who holds the major league records for home runs in both a single season and a career, has never been caught explicitly using steroids and has steadfastly denied any allegations against him. Critics of Bonds pointed to his large increase in size late in his career, as well as his improvement primarily in his power numbers, despite his age. Bonds's trainer, Greg Anderson, was sentenced to jail time after refusing to testify against Bonds before a grand jury investigating the slugger for perjury. Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, reporters for the San Francisco Chronicle, profiled Bonds' alleged use of performance-enhancing substances in their 2006 book Game of Shadows. The reporters used Bonds' testimony in front of a grand jury, and refused to reveal their source for the court documents. The U.S. government sought charges against them for leaking the testimony, but dropped them when a former attorney for Conte pleaded guilty to doing so. Bonds, like Giambi, has never been punished by the MLB in any way because he has not yet failed any drug test.[7]
On November 15, 2007, Bonds was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice based on his grand jury testimony in this investigation. The trial began on March 21, 2011;[8] he was convicted on April 13, 2011, on a single charge of obstruction of justice; the other charges were dismissed.[9][10] In 2015, Bonds' conviction was overturned by a 10–1 vote of an en banc panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.[11]
Marion Jones
Bill Romanowski
The most notable football player involved in the BALCO scandal is two-time All-Pro
Media coverage of scandal
The media coverage of the BALCO case was extensive. The San Francisco Chronicle and more specifically Chronicle journalists
Fainaru-Wada and Williams broke the story concerning U.S. track coach Trevor Graham and his admission to turning a syringe laced with THG over to investigators. That syringe was the catalyst for the entire investigation of Conte's lab. These journalists also wrote the story about C.J. Hunter (Marion Jones’ ex-husband) and his interview with an IRS agent, in which Hunter told the agents that Jones was taking performance-enhancing drugs during the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Hunter said that at times, he injected the drugs into Jones himself. He also admitted to taking steroids, and said that he had obtained them through Conte.
The duo's most groundbreaking story, however, was their report on October 16, 2004, of a secret audio conversation that contained Greg Anderson (Barry Bonds’ trainer) stating that Bonds had been using steroids provided by Victor Conte and himself. Anderson also revealed the names of numerous Olympic athletes that had been provided with "The Clear", boasting that neither they nor Bonds would fail drug tests because the substance was undetectable.
After reporting on the BALCO case, Fainaru-Wada and Williams took their interviews and observations and published Game of Shadows, a journalistic book that explored every aspect of BALCO, beginning with Conte's early struggles as an aspiring musician and ending with the federal bust of the BALCO headquarters. Publicly, most of the attention the book received was due to the incriminating evidence of Barry Bond's ties to BALCO.[14]
Impact of BALCO scandal
Prior to the scandal, Major League Baseball had no established policy against steroids. As a result of the BALCO bust, commissioner Bud Selig instituted a written, league-wide policy. The first time a player fails a test for steroids, he is subject to a 81-game (about 1/2 of a regular season) suspension. For the second offense, the penalty is a 162 (a regular season) game suspension. Finally, if a third offense occurs, the player is given a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball.
BALCO today
Technically speaking, BALCO is extinct, but Victor Conte is a free man and still running a business called "Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning" or "SNAC." After serving a four-month prison sentence prior to pleading guilty in 2005, he now sells various supplements and vitamins. Patrick Arnold and Greg Anderson each served a three-month jail sentence after pleading guilty with Anderson serving an additional three-month house arrest sentence. In 2006, Anderson was incarcerated again after being found in contempt of court for refusing to testify about Barry Bonds' and Gary Sheffield's alleged use of banned steroids.[15]
See also
References
- ^ LCCN 2005037750.
- ^ Davidson, Keay (June 24, 2011). "Drugs involved in BALCO case". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
- ^ a b Shipley, Amy (March 13, 2007). "Catlin to Leave Testing Field for New Research Position". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 26, 2017.
- ^ "Milestones in Don Catlin's Career". USA Today. February 28, 2007. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
- ^ "BALCO investigation timeline". USA Today. November 27, 2007. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012.
- ^ Fainaru-Wada, Mark; Williams, Lance (December 2, 2004). "Giambi admitted taking steroids". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
- ^ Williams, Lance; Fainaru-Wada, Mark (July 5, 2006). "Bonds' trainer going to prison". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2011.
- ^ Elias, Paul (March 21, 2011). "Barry Bonds perjury trial gets under way". CBS News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2011.
- ^ Dolan, Maura (April 13, 2011). "Barry Bonds convicted of obstruction of justice in performance-enhancing-drugs case". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 28, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ "Barry Bonds found guilty of obstruction". ESPN. April 14, 2011. Archived from the original on April 29, 2011. Retrieved April 16, 2011.
- ^ Egelko, Bob (April 22, 2014). "Appeals court overturns Barry Bonds' obstruction conviction". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on June 14, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
- ^ "SNAC Athlete Photo Gallery - SNAC System". Retrieved 18 August 2013.
- ^ Fainaru-Wada, Mark; Williams, Lance (November 16, 2003). "BALCO link in '99 case / Romanowski got banned hormone, wife told sheriff". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 24, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2016.
- S2CID 144231419.
- ^ "Greg Anderson held in contempt, returned to jail". ESPN. Associated Press. August 29, 2006. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved April 11, 2012.