Baseball star Bonds ‘used steroids’

BASEBALL superstar Barry Bonds told a federal grand jury in California that he used substances supplied by the now notorious Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative, or BALCO, but said he never thought they were steroids, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

US federal prosecutors say BALCO gave steroids to athletes in a clear substance to be taken orally and a cream to be rubbed on the skin, “the clear” and “the cream”.

Bonds testified to receiving and using clear and cream substances from his personal strength trainer, Greg Anderson, in the 2003 season. However, the baseball player claimed he was told the substances were flaxseed oil and a rubbing balm for arthritis when giving secret testimony to federal prosecutors in 2003. Bonds’ lawyer has alleged the US government is trying to smear his client by releasing that secret testimony.