Victor Conte: Athletics Satan or Saviour?
October 15th 2007 21:54
Put simply, he is simply sports greatest ever whistle blower.
It was he who supplied Tim Montgomery with performance enhancers for ‘project world record’ and told all about it.
He supplied Greg Anderson (then trainer of Baseball star Barry Bonds) with THG and told about it.
He supplied Marion Jones with THG and growth hormone, and revealed all to the press and as a direct result was sued by Jones for $25 million.
The list goes on – Dwain Chambers, Alvin and Calvin Harrison, Chryste Gaines, Kelli White from track, Bill Romanowski from the NFL and many baseball players directly and indirectly received THG and other banned substances from BALCO.
Conte has spoken candidly about them all, in an interview with ESPN he stated, “I got to a point where I realized elite sport is about doing what you have to do to win.”
“I’ve seen athletes being forced to decide whether to use or not use, and it's much more painful for them to entertain the idea of giving up their dream than to use anabolic steroids. That's what's really going on. That's the choice athletes face when they get to the very top.”
That statement sent shockwaves around IAAF and WADA offices and it wasn’t long before both organisations tried to discredit his claims.
However it is Conte who has been found to be truthful – everyone who he has said were doping has been caught and the spectre of widespread drug use still haunts the sport.
Recently Dick Pound the head of WADA expressed an interest in working with Conte, “I’d be interested to talk to him to see if he can help us. Any information is welcome.”
If Conte accepts it would be an amazing transformation from poacher to game keeper.
Whether he will or not is another question as Conte has very little faith in the authorities’ willingness to expose the truth.
“The IOC (International Olympic Committee) does not want to face the truth because there is too much money riding on it. It comes down to dollars. The Olympics are marketed as this elite competition and nobody wants to admit it’s all false.”
Victor Conte the saviour of athletics? Surely not.
Right?
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