‘USADA report says Salazar violated drug protocals’

ACONFIDENTIAL US Anti-Doping Agency report says track coach Alberto Salazar has violated drug protocols with Britain’s Mo Farah and other elite runners, the New York Times reported yesterday.

The newspaper outlined how the 269page report on the Oregon Project, a Nike-financed initiative featuring some of the world’s top runners, created tensions between Salazar and athletes over medical issues and methods of boosting performance.

Salazar has denied violating antidoping rules, saying he and the programme athletes follow proper antidoping protocols.

But the Times described a culture of coercion, secrecy and possible medical malpractice in the team, which in part were aimed at improving US distance running on the global level.

No sanctions against anyone have been announced in the report.

“We cannot comment on the specific situation at this time,” a USADA spokesman told the Times.

“However, we know there is a win-atall-costs culture that exists across all levels of sport, and coaches especially – given their influence over athletes – have a responsibility to rise above those pressures and ensure that athlete health and safety is protected.”

Salazar was described as a medicine supplier for Nike-backed world-class athletes, and the report said he provided or aided access to prescription-strength doses of drugs. – AFP