BALCO boss Conte blows the whistle on Jones

Sports Digest/Athletics: After 18 months of leaks, slurs and broken reputations the biggest doping scandal in sports history took its most dramatic twist yesterday when the man at the centre of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) investigation claimed he had devised and administered a drugs programme for the three-times Olympic champion Marion Jones.

Victor Conte said Jones started the programme during her preparations for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, where she became the first woman in history to win five medals at one Games, including three golds.

"After I instructed her how to do it and dialled it up (filled up the syringe), she did the injection with me sitting right there next to her - right in front of me," Conte told ABC News 20/20 and broadcast in the United States last night. The interview was considered to be a surprise because he has been charged with distributing illegal steroids and his statements are unlikely to help his defence.

TENNIS: Teenage rookie Rafael Nadal blunted the world's fastest serve yesterday to beat Andy Roddick and give Spain a 2-0 lead over the United States in the Davis Cup final. The 18-year-old out-punched the world number two 6-7 6-2 7-6 6-2.

Carlos Moya had earlier fired Spain into a 1-0 lead with a 6-4 6-2 6-3 victory over Mardy Fish.

EQUESTRIAN SPORT: National Hunt jockey Robert Power recorded Ireland's first win at the Belfast International Horse Show last night when claiming the Northern Ireland Events pairs relay for the second year in a row writes Grania Willis.

Power, winner of last year's Galway Plate, teamed up with British show jumper Ellen Whitaker to slice almost 16 seconds off the early leaders' target.

Irish duo Stuart Crawford and Conor Swail followed Power and Whitaker into the arena and came closest, slotting into second place .

Northern Ireland Events Co pairs relay - 1, Ireland's Howard (Robert Power) and Britain's Henri de Here (Ellen Whitaker), 59.49 seconds; 2, Ireland's Andorra (Stuart Crawford) and Alaska (Conor Swail), 66.34; 3, Britain's Clover (Pippa Funnell) and Golisco Louviere (Richard Davenport), 69.29.

Rudolph's Top Flight speed - 1, Britain's Kalusha (Robert Smith), 0 faults, 55.97 seconds; 2, Norway's Clear Round's Then Party (Geir Gulliksen), 0, 60.04; 3, Ireland's Heritage Oh Jessie (Marion Hughes), 0, 60.95.

Downtown Radio Ride and Drive- 1, Britain's Medeo R (Andrew Davies), 63.19 seconds; 2, Britain's Fresh Direct Glenwood Springs (Tim Stockdale), 677.72; 3, Britain's Riverside Glen (Robert Smith), 67.81.

Titanic Quarter Winning Round - 1, Germany's Sundance K (Franke Sloothaak), 0 faults; 35.78; 2, Ireland's Impact (Dermott Lennon), 0, 36.46; 3, Switzerland's Hermine d'Auzay (Daniel Etter), 4, 34.26.