Victor Conte, Disgraced Founder of BALCO and Central Figure in Sports Doping Era, Dies at 75

Victor Conte, the founder of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) and a central figure in one of the most significant performance-enhancing drug scandals in sports history, died Monday at the age of 75. Conte had announced in June that he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His death marks the end of a controversial chapter in sports, one that exposed the widespread use of steroids and other banned substances among elite athletes across various disciplines.

Conte established BALCO in 1984, initially marketing it as a legitimate nutritional supplement and testing facility. Prior to entering the world of sports science, Conte had a career as a musician, notably playing bass for the R&B group Tower of Power. BALCO offered a range of services, including blood and urine analysis, purportedly to help athletes optimize their performance through tailored nutrition plans. However, the laboratory’s activities soon evolved to encompass the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs, a practice that would eventually bring Conte and several high-profile athletes under intense scrutiny.

The turning point came in 2000 when Conte began working with several prominent baseball players, including Barry Bonds, then a superstar outfielder for the San Francisco Giants. Bonds, already a multiple-time All-Star and MVP award winner, was seeking to enhance his performance as he approached the later stages of his career. Conte’s involvement with Bonds and other athletes would ultimately lead to a federal investigation that exposed the extent of BALCO’s illicit activities.

In 2003, federal authorities launched an investigation into BALCO, uncovering a widespread scheme to provide athletes with banned performance-enhancing drugs. The investigation revealed that BALCO had distributed substances such as tetrahydrogestrinone (THG), a designer steroid undetectable by conventional testing methods at the time, as well as other performance enhancers like erythropoietin (EPO) and human growth hormone (HGH). The list of athletes implicated in the BALCO scandal included not only Barry Bonds but also track and field star Marion Jones, a multiple Olympic gold medalist, and world champion boxer Shane Mosley, among numerous others across a variety of sports.

Barry Bonds, at the time of the BALCO investigation, was in the midst of a record-breaking career. From 2000 to 2003, Bonds achieved unprecedented levels of performance, including setting a single-season home run record of 73 in 2001. His connection to BALCO cast a shadow over his accomplishments, fueling intense debate about the legitimacy of his records and his place in baseball history. Bonds maintained that he had never knowingly taken steroids, claiming that he had been misled by Conte and his associates. However, evidence presented during the investigation suggested otherwise, leading to perjury charges against Bonds, although he was ultimately acquitted on those charges.

Marion Jones, another high-profile athlete linked to BALCO, was a dominant force in track and field, winning five medals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. However, her involvement with BALCO led to the stripping of her Olympic medals and a two-year suspension from competition. Jones later admitted to using steroids and served a prison sentence for making false statements to federal investigators.

Shane Mosley, a world champion boxer in multiple weight divisions, was also implicated in the BALCO scandal. Mosley testified that he had received substances from BALCO but was unaware that they contained steroids. His involvement with BALCO tarnished his reputation, although he continued to compete at a high level for several years after the scandal broke.

In 2005, Victor Conte pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute steroids and money laundering. He was sentenced to four months in prison and four months of home confinement. His plea marked a significant turning point in the BALCO saga, as it provided federal investigators with crucial information about the scope of the doping scheme and the athletes involved.

Following his release from prison, Conte sought to rehabilitate his image and reinvent himself as an anti-doping advocate. He founded Scientific Nutrition for Advanced Conditioning (SNAC), a company that focused on providing athletes with nutritional supplements and advice on clean performance enhancement. Conte worked primarily with boxers, advocating for stricter drug testing standards and transparency in the sport.

Conte’s efforts to promote clean sport included pushing for the inclusion of testing by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA), an independent organization that conducts drug testing for athletes in various sports. VADA’s testing standards often exceeded those administered by state athletic commissions, providing a more rigorous and comprehensive approach to detecting performance-enhancing drugs.

Despite his efforts to advocate for clean sport, Conte’s past continued to haunt him. Some of the boxers he worked with at SNAC, such as Andre Berto, tested positive for banned substances during their time as clients. Berto tested positive for norandrosterone in 2012, leading to the cancellation of his rematch against Victor Ortiz. Conte maintained that he had no knowledge of Berto’s use of banned substances and that the positive test was not a result of work done by SNAC.

In recent years, Conte remained a vocal commentator on issues related to doping in sports, often using social media to express his views and offer insights into the challenges of maintaining a clean competitive environment. He also continued to work with athletes through SNAC, providing nutritional guidance and advocating for stricter anti-doping measures.

The legacy of Victor Conte is complex and controversial. On one hand, he was responsible for orchestrating one of the most extensive doping schemes in sports history, undermining the integrity of competition and tarnishing the reputations of numerous athletes. On the other hand, he later became an advocate for clean sport, working to promote stricter drug testing standards and educate athletes about the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.

Conte’s death marks the end of an era in sports, a period characterized by the widespread use of steroids and other banned substances and the intense scrutiny of athletes’ performances. While the fight against doping continues, the BALCO scandal serves as a reminder of the challenges involved in maintaining a level playing field and the lasting impact of performance-enhancing drugs on the integrity of sports.

A statement released by SNAC following Conte’s death read: "We are heartbroken by the passing of our fearless leader, SNAC mastermind, CEO, anti-doping advocate, creator of ZMA, former Tower of Power and Herbie Hancock bassist, Victor Conte. We will honor his wishes. SNAC and his legacy will carry forward, strong and forever. We love you, Conte!"

The sports world will continue to debate the legacy of Victor Conte, a man who played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of performance-enhancing drugs in sports and whose actions continue to resonate today.