Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield on the program, according to chemist

The BALCO chemist who invented the performance-enhancing drug known as "the clear", tells HBO Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield were on it.

Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield on the program, according to chemist Patrick Arnold, a chemist who worked with the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO), said in an HBO Sports interview that Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield took performance-enhancing drugs provided to them by the laboratory.

Arnold is credited to be the chemist who invented the previously undetectable steroid named “the clear" and pleaded guilty in 2006 to conspiring to distribute steroids, and was sentenced to three months in prison and three months of home confinement. As part of his plea deal, he was not required to name athletes who had used the drug.

The interview with Arnold was aired last night on HBO's Costas Now show. According to the chemist, although he never met Barry Bonds, often heard BALCO’s founder, Victor Conte, bragging about Bonds’ performance on “the program.” Patrick Arnold also said during the interview that Gary Sheffield also took the steroid, despite claiming otherwise.

Arnold claims that the program was consisting of "the clear" drug. Victor Conte denied in a statement that Barry Bonds was given the performance-enhancing drug. According to the statement "the program" in questions had nothing to do with steroids, but consisted of well balanced nutrition supplements.

Reportedly Barry Bonds told the grand jury that he did not know he was taking steroids, but believed he was just given flaxseed oil. Arnold waved off the claim by comparing flaxseed to “nontoxic antifreeze.” A federal jury also investigates Bonds' testimony for the possibility of perjury.

Published on 07/25/2007