In a meeting hardly anyone could have imagined a few years back, BALCO founder Victor Conte and World Anti-Doping Agency chairman Dick Pound sat down yesterday for their first face-to-face discussion about doping in sports.
During the two-hour meeting in New York, they didn't discuss specific cases or name names, but had what both termed a frank conversation they hope will lead to a more productive relationship.
"We talked about ... his thoughts on how we could get better at what we do," Pound said. "I think we'll probably stay in touch. We'll try to build up a relationship where he'll have confidence in me using the information he has in the right way. We'll try to get a better handle on what he knows directly and what he knows as having been part of an overall operation."