The American company at the centre of athletics' THG drugs scandal has accused British sprinter Dwain Chambers of using them as a "scapegoat" following his own positive test for the banned steroid.
It emerged last week the European 100 metres champion had failed an out-of-competition test on August 1st when traces of tetrahydrogestrinone were found in his sample.
Chambers has admitted testing positive for the drug but denied knowingly taking it and suggested nutritional supplements from US company Balco, which were recommended by his coach, could be to blame for the banned steroid being in his system.
But a lawyer representing Balco boss Victor Conte has hit back at the claims. Troy Ellerman said: "To use Victor Conte as a scapegoat to try to get out of a two-year ban or potentially a lifetime ban is inexcusable."
Ellerman added on BBC Radio 5 Live: "I don't know Dwain Chambers, but he seems like a smart-enough guy to get where he's at and he's a nationally-known athlete in Britain." Asked if Conte supplied Chambers with THG, he said: "Absolutely not."
Chambers faces a minimum two-year ban if the `B' test confirms the discovery in his urine sample of THG - a newly-discovered drug which is rocking athletics, US 1500m world indoor gold medalist Regina Jacobs and hammer thrower John McEwan the latest to test positive.