SALAZAR DOCTOR ‘CHANGED MEDICAL RECORDS’

thE doctor at the centre of the nike Oregon Project drugs investigation altered the medical records of athletes before handing them over to the anti-doping authorities, according to new evidence.

Dr Jeffrey Brown, who has worked closely with the Alberto salazar-run training group that counts sir Mo Farah among its star athletes, is already the subject of alleged doping violations according to a leaked United states Anti- Doping Agency report. that report details how UsADA investigators obtained copies of athlete medical records from Brown, noting that documents for marathon runner Dathan Ritzenhein — who won last weekend’s Great Manchester Run — appear to have been altered. there is no suggestion that either Ritzenhein or Farah had any knowledge about the alleged alteration.

the BBC and ProPublica, who published the original allegations against salazar (right) in 2015, now have evidence from former nike Oregon Project coach and whistleblower steve Magness.

Magness revealed that at least one of the records Brown gave to UsADA regarding his own treatment seems to have been changed, judging by the copy he retained from his visit to the physician in 2011. ‘My only speculation is that the changes were made to make it look like patient care had been given,’ Magness said. Magness, a top college runner prior to becoming a coach, said he had been used as a guinea pig to test a potentially performanceenhancing procedure. he was given a large infusion of the controversial but legal supplement, L- carnitine, although according to the report the infusion constitutes a doping offence because of the quantity involved. When Magness saw the copy of the notes in the leaked report he noticed checkmarks indicating he had received a full medical examination as well as the L- carnitine infusion. those same checkmarks, against categories like ‘ Lungs’ and ‘neuro’, are not on his copy.

‘I do not recall these things being done,’ said Magness, who has passed his copy of the record to UsADA. ‘I wasn’t even in a patient room, but instead in his office during this visit. I do not recall his normal checks of my thyroid, or anything else.’

Brown and salazar deny any wrongdoing. UsADA’s investigation is understood to be reaching its conclusion.