Panorama reveals Farah altered story on injection

SIR MO FARAH repeatedly denied receiving an injection of a controversial supplement ahead of the 2014 London Marathon when questioned by investigators the following year, before later changing his account.

The revelations are included in a new BBC Panorama documentary which aired last night.

The documentary revealed that Farah, who won the 5000 metres and 10,000m gold medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, was interviewed by investigators from the US AntiDoping Agency (USADA) in 2015 as part of its probe into his former coach Alberto Salazar and asked whether he had been given L-carnitine before the previous year’s London Marathon.

Farah was tested six days after that race and the BBC reports that, despite listing a number of other products and medicines, he failed to record L-carnitine on his doping control form.

In transcripts obtained by the BBC, Farah denies having been given the injection in the initial 2015 interview with USADA. Panorama reports he then met with UK Athletics’ head of distance running Barry Fudge immediately after the interview and returned to the interview room as the investigators were preparing to leave.

At this point, Farah told them he had been given the injection.

Excerpts from a legal letter from Farah’s lawyers to the BBC, which have been seen by the PA news agency, read: “Mr Farah understood the question one way and as soon as he left the room he asked Mr Fudge and immediately returned... to clarify and it is plain the investigators were comfortable with this explanation.

“It is not against [World AntiDoping Agency] rules to take L-carnitine as a supplement within the right quantities.

“Mr Farah... is one of the most tested athletes in the UK, if not the world, and has been required to fill in numerous doping forms. He is a human being and not a robot. That is relevant... if in fact something was missed from the form. Interviews are not memory tests.”

Farah finished eighth in the 2014 London Marathon and the fact he had been given L-carnitine was first reported by the Sunday Times three years later.