Victor Conte, the architect of a scheme to provide undetectable performance-enhancing drugs to elite athletes, has died at 75. His passing, confirmed by SNAC System, a sports nutrition company he founded, did not disclose the cause of death.
Conte's involvement in the doping scandal led to high-profile investigations and convictions, including Olympic champion Marion Jones and several other athletes. His business, the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), was at the center of a federal investigation that revealed extensive doping practices in sports.
Throughout his career, Conte maintained a defiant stance, often discussing his famous former clients and asserting that he was merely helping athletes in a competitive world. He served four months in federal prison and returned to the business of nutrition, promoting the SNAC System.
The Steroids Era
Conte described selling steroids known as the cream and the clear. In the wake of the steroid scandal, Major League Baseball took significant steps towards addressing doping, including the hiring of former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell to investigate.
Despite the damage done to the reputations of numerous athletes, Conte insisted that he was merely leveling the playing field among those who cheated. His business remains a topic of contention, as he was labeled an advocate for anti-doping even after the scandal.
Conte's legacy is complex, intertwining both his contributions to nutrition and his infamous role in the doping crisis that changed the landscape of professional sports forever. He was also known for his brief stint as a musician with the band Tower of Power in the late 1970s.
His impact continues to resonate as sports organizations strive to combat doping and restore integrity in athletics.
