Legal Sparring Expected in BALCO Case

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Lawyers for Barry Bonds' personal trainer want to retest suspected steroids taken from his property in a raid last fall. <br><br>A document filed by prosecutors last week claims

Friday, April 30th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) _ Lawyers for Barry Bonds' personal trainer want to retest suspected steroids taken from his property in a raid last fall.

A document filed by prosecutors last week claims federal agents seized vials of suspected steroids and human growth hormone, as well as more than 100 syringes.

A hearing Friday in federal court was to focus on a bid by attorneys for trainer Greg Anderson to do their own chemical analysis of the materials seized from Anderson's apartment and car. Anderson is one of four men charged in a drug-distribution ring.

Among the items prosecutors said were seized included 10 vials labeled as Serostim, a synthetic human growth hormone, and a 30-tablet bottle of the steroid Andriol _ with just one red pill inside. Also found was a vial labeled depo-testosterone and another labeled Enantat, both steroids.

Prosecutors previously have claimed they also found $63,920 in cash in a locked safe at Anderson's residence, and that ``some of the money was broken up into separate envelopes with the first names of known athlete clients written on them.''

``In addition, agents found files identifying specific athletes,'' the government has claimed. ``These files contained calendars, which appear to contain references to daily doses of steroids and growth hormones.''

Anderson and the three other men charged with distributing steroids such as THG to top athletes _ Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative founder Victor Conte, BALCO vice president James Valente and track coach Remi Korchemny _ all have pleaded innocent.

Bonds and dozens of other athletes testified last fall before the grand jury that ultimately indicted the four men. No athlete has been charged in the case. Bonds repeatedly has denied using steroids.

On Thursday, two U.S. hammer throwers who tested positive last summer for THG had their appeals rejected and were suspended from competition for two years. Melissa Price and John McEwen were among four U.S. athletes who tested positive for THG use last year.

Also Thursday, Britain was stripped of its silver medal in the 400-meter relay at last year's world championships after sprinter Dwain Chambers decided not to appeal his two-year doping ban. Chambers flunked a random test for THG last summer, and has blamed it on nutritional supplements he said were provided by BALCO.