THE whistleblower behind the Alberto Salazar doping ban last night slammed Mo Farah and UK Athletics.
American Steve Magness claims Farah has to “answer questions” as he decided to stay with the disgraced coach until 2017 — two years after serious allegations emerged.
Mo Farah (right) has been slammed by the whistleblower behind the Alberto Salazar (left) doping banCredit: Getty Images
And the former Nike Oregon Project coach says the 2015 UKA internal inquiry “felt like a sham”, even though it cleared Farah to carry on working with Salazar.
Magness said: “People make mistakes but they have to own up and that’s where Farah and a lot of other people who stuck it out have to answer questions. Everybody had a choice on who they wanted to be associated with.
“It’s not for me to judge but, once it’s out in the open, people make their decisions.”
Disgraced Salazar had his IAAF World Championships credentials ripped up here after he received a four-year suspension by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
A USADA probe found the American, 61, committed multiple anti-doping violations while working as head coach of the Nike Oregon Project (NOP).
Their ruling found Salazar “possessed and trafficked a banned performance-enhancing substance and administered or attempted to administer a prohibited method to multiple track-and-field athletes”.
He is also accused of “tampering and/or attempted tampering with NOP athletes’ doping control process”.
UKA gave British long-distance star Farah, 36, the green light to train with Salazar eight years ago and then cleared the Cuban-born coach after their review. Magness told The Times: “It seemed like they were checking boxes so they couldn’t be held accountable. It didn’t feel like it was taken seriously.
Mo Farah says cheating athletes should be banned for life
People make mistakes but they have to own up and that’s where Farah and a lot of other people who stuck it out have to answer questions.
Steve Magness
“They chose their side and need to ask themselves a lot of questions. I don’t think their goal was to find anything.”
There is no suggestion in the USADA ruling that any athlete took part in doping.
Farah, who won four Olympic golds while working at the NOP, is not accused of any wrongdoing and has not been part of the USADA investigation.
The USADA panel also banned Dr Jeffrey Brown, who treated Salazar’s athletes, for four years.
Farah worked with Salazar in the US for six years but has no sympathy towards the drug cheat.
He said: “I have no tolerance for anyone who breaks the rules or crosses a line. A ruling has been made and I’m glad there has finally been a conclusion.”
USADA chief Travis Tygart said: “Salazar and Dr Brown demonstrated that winning was more important than the health and wellbeing of the athletes they were sworn to protect.
“The athletes in these cases found the courage to speak out and exposed the truth.”
American middle-distance runner Donavan Brazier, a product of the NOP, last night won the 800 metres in a championship record time of 1min 42.34sec.
Salazar, who plans to appeal the decision, said: “I’m shocked by the outcome. I have always ensured the WADA code is strictly followed. The Oregon Project has never and will never permit doping.”
Nike, Salazar’s long-term sponsors, intend to stand by him despite the ban.
UKA said: “At all times in the investigations UK Athletics fully cooperated with USADA and UKAD. We are 100 per cent committed to clean athletics.”
Mo Farah splits with coach Salazar before returning home to London
Source: Athletics - thesun.co.uk
