The American sprinter is challenging the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) founder "to take and make public a lie detector examination from a qualified, well-respected polygrapher."
"We are even willing to fund the lie detector examination," read the statement drafted by Jones's lawyer, Rich Nichols.
According to the statement, Jones's challenge calls for Conte to answer three specific questions while hooked up to a lie detector machine:
U.S. track star Marion Jones has filed a defamation lawsuit against BALCO head Victor Conte. (CP File Photo)
1. "On April 21, 2001, did you observe Marion Jones inject herself with performance enhancing drugs?"
2. "Have you ever leaked any grand jury testimony or other evidence related to the current criminal proceeding pending in federal court against you?"
3. "Have you ever observed Marion Jones illegally taking any performance enhancing drugs?"
The lie-detector challenge comes one day after the U.S. Olympic track star filed a defamation lawsuit against Conte.
In a television interview on ABC's 20/20, Conte said he gave Jones steroids and watched her inject herself with them.
Jones is seeking $25 million US in the suit, which alleges Conte tarnished her reputation in making the statement on Dec. 3.
"I understand that Marion Jones has issued a lawsuit against me. This is nothing more than a PR stunt by a desperate woman, who has regularly used drugs throughout her career. I look forward with all confidence to the court proceedings as I stand by everything I said on the 20/20 special. I am telling the truth and Marion is lying," Conte told CBC Sports.
The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, said Jones passed a lie detector test and 160 drug tests, including five at the 2000 Summer Games.
It claims "Conte defamed Jones with malice, with intent to injure Jones in her character and reputation as one of the greatest female athletes of all-time" because he was motivated by a "vendetta, self interest and a long standing grudge.
"Jones has never exhibited the tell-tale physiological signs of drug use, such as weight gain, bulkiness, voice change and excessive acne."
In February, Conte along with three other men connected with BALCO were indicted for a variety of offences, including distributing illegal performance-enhancing drugs to top athletes. All four pleaded not guilty.
The lawsuit said Conte's sudden "about-face" ahead of his criminal prosecution "appears motivated by a desire to curry favor with prosecutors, garner sensationalized media attention, bolster Conte's own financial and other self-interests, and harm an individual against whom Conte has a long-standing grudge."
High-profile sports names linked to BALCO include Jones, along with her husband, U.S. Olympic sprinter Tim Montgomery, and baseball stars Barry Bonds and Jason Giambi.
Jones's lawsuit details Conte's efforts to develop a professional relationship with the athlete. It stated Conte grew impatient after he was repeatedly rebuffed by Jones.
In the lawsuit, Conte is said to have repeatedly called the home of Jones and then-husband C.J. Hunter and would, "Roam through athlete hotel lobbies at track meets hoping to see Jones ... In truth, Conte was never involved in any aspect of Jones' training, never provided any banned performance-enhancing substances to Jones."
Jones won three gold and two bronze at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia.
She didn't win any medals in the 2004 Athens Games.
Following Conte's comments to 20/20, the International Olympic Committee opened an investigation into the allegations. World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound, a senior IOC member from Montreal, said Jones should be stripped of her medals if Conte is telling the truth.
with files from Canadian Press
