Sir Mo Farah’s ex-coach Alberto Salazar BANNED from athletics for four years for doping offences

SIR Mo Farah’s former coach Alberto Salazar was yesterday banned from athletics for four years for doping offences.

Salazar, 61, who oversaw the British athlete’s most successful period on the track, trafficked banned testosterone, an investigation found – and has now been sent home from the World Athletics Championships in Qatar in disgrace.

Sir Mo Farah with Alberto Salazar, who trained the Brit runner to become the UK’s most successful athletics championCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Salazar, 61, was found to have possessed and trafficked testosterone during his time at the Nike Oregon ProjectCredit: AP:Associated Press

USA Track and Field says it has “taken the steps necessary to have Mr Salazar’s IAAF World Championships accreditation deactivated”

A US Anti-Doping Authority probe found he possessed the performance-enhancing hormone while working at the Nike Oregon Project.

It was at that facility that Salazar trained Mo, 36, to become the most successful competitor in British athletics history.

The runner won the majority of his ten Olympic and World Championship medals with Salazar as his trainer between 2011 and 2017.

A USADA panel announced yesterday it had also banned Dr Jeffrey Brown, who treated Salazar’s athletes, for four years.

WINNING ‘TOP PRIORITY’

USADA CEO Travis Tygart said: “While acting in connection with the Nike Oregon Project, Mr Salazar and Dr Brown demonstrated that winning was more important than the health and wellbeing of the athletes they were sworn to protect.”

There was no suggestion in the USDA ruling that any athlete – including Sir Mo – took part in doping.

But it said Salazar “administered or attempted to administer a prohibited method to multiple track and field athletes.”

FOUR-YEAR PROBE

The ruling is the culmination for a four-year USADA sparked by a BBC report that detailed some of Salazar’s practices.

That report included allegations Salazar used infusions of a legal supplement called L-carnitine that is said to enhance athletic performance.

The BBC said marathoner Kara Goucher and former Nike Oregon Project coach Steve Magness, were among those who gave evidence.

USADA said it received information from 30 witnesses.

QUESTIONS FOR UK ATHLETICS

The ruling will raise questions about UK Athletics and its ability to police the sport in Britain.

It had done its own investigation into Salazar and said Farah could continue working with him.

Sir Mo parted ways with Salazar in 2017 – saying he wanted to move back home to the UK.

Salazar also coached 2012 Olympic silver medallist Galen Rupp.

Salazar denied any wrongdoing and vowed to fight his ban. He said: “I am shocked by the outcome today.

“Throughout this six-year investigation my athletes and I have endured unjust, unethical and highly damaging treatment from USADA.

“This is demonstrated by the misleading statement released by Travis Tygart stating that we put winning ahead of athlete safety. This is completely false and contrary to the findings of the arbitrators, who even wrote about the care I took in complying with the World Anti-Doping code:

SALAZAR DENIAL

“The Panel notes that the Respondent does not appear to have been motivated by any bad intention to commit the violations the Panel found.

“In fact, the Panel was struck by the amount of care generally taken by Respondent to ensure that whatever new technique or method or substance he was going to try was lawful under the World Anti-Doping Code, with USADA’s witness characterizing him as the coach they heard from the most with respect to trying to ensure that he was complying with his obligations.”

“I have always ensured the WADA code is strictly followed. The Oregon Project has never and will never permit doping.

“I will appeal and look forward to this unfair and protracted process reaching the conclusion I know to be true. I will not be commenting further at this time.”

Farah said: “I’m relieved that USADA has, after four years, completed their investigation into Alberto Salazar.

“I left the Nike Oregon Project in 2017 but as I’ve always 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.”

Rupp has also previously denied any wrongdoing.

USADA said it relied on more than 2,000 exhibits between the two cases and that proceedings included nearly 5,800 pages of transcripts.

Mr Tygart added: “The athletes in these cases found the courage to speak out and ultimately exposed the truth.”

Mo Farah won the bulk of his ten Olympics and World Championship golds when he was coached by Salazar between 2011 and 2017Credit: PA:Press Association

USA’s Galen Rupp, left, was also coached by Salazar. He, Farah and Salazar have all previously denied wrongdoingCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Source: Athletics - thesun.co.uk