Farah splits with US coach Salazar and returns to London
Sir Mo Farah is leaving American coach Alberto Salazar and will be trained for his marathon career by Paula Radcliffe’s husband Gary Lough.
Farah is to relocate from Portland in the United States to London but has denied his decision has been influenced by doping allegations against Salazar.
Salazar has always strenuously denied being involved in doping, and Farah has consistently stood by the coach by resisting calls to quit the coach’s Nike Oregon Project. The four-time Olympic gold medallist insists he is coming home to London because he and his family missed living in the city where his eldest daughter Rhianna was born.
The British athlete said: “I’m moving back home. London ... I really miss home. I’m going to be back there. I’m very excited.
“I’ll no longer be coached by Alberto Salazar – working with the Oregon Project. I want to thank each member of the Oregon Project and Alberto for what he’s done over the years.
“So I’m coming back and my new coach is going to be Gary
0 Mo Farah: Fresh start. Lough who coached Paula Radcliffe through her marathon so I’m very excited to start a new project, a new start.”
Lough helped to guide Radcliffe’s career in which the Brit- ish athlete became established as the world’s best female marathon runner and won a host of big-city races, including London and New York.
Farah won Olympic gold in the 5,000 metres and 10,000m at the London Olympics in 2012 and repeated the feat four years later in Rio.
The 34-year-old Somaliborn runner said: “I’m not leaving the Nike Oregon Project and Alberto Salazar because of the doping allegations.”
Farah stressed he would have quit the partnership with Salazar if allegations against the coach had been shown to be true. Farah added: “As I’ve always said, I am a firm believer in clean sport and I strongly believe that anyone who breaks the rules should be punished.
“If Alberto had crossed the line I would be out the door but USADA [the US Anti-doping Agency] has not charged him with anything.
“If I had ever had any reason to doubt Alberto, I would not have stood by him all this time.
“I’m leaving simply because my family and I are moving back to London. We want the kids to grow up in the UK. It’s the right thing to do for my family.”