Mo’s coach ‘gave him dangerous doses of drug’
MO FARAH’S coach put the Olympic gold medallist in danger by giving him performanceenhancing drugs, it is claimed.
Alberto Salazar, the US coach who has worked with Farah since 2011, allegedly administered a Vitamin D treatment said to raise the testosterone level of the runner and boost his performance.
Salazar took ‘egregious risks’ and abused prescription rules by persuading Farah to take potentially dangerous, ‘super-high’ doses of the treatment.
Salazar is also claimed to have administered L-carnitine – a drug which is permitted on prescription – to athletes including the British runner.
The coach boasted to cycling drugs cheat Lance Armstrong about the ‘incredible’ performance-boosting effects of L-carnitine, writing in an email: ‘Lance call me asap! We have tested it and it’s amazing,’ according to the report in The Sunday Times. One athlete given a high dosage said that it was as effective as illegal blood doping, it was claimed in the story based on a leak by the Fancy Bears hacking group.
Farah’s doctors in Britain intervened due to health concerns over the Vitamin D treatment. Shortly before his 2014 London Marathon debut, Farah was given an infusion of L-carnitine – in unknown quantity – by medical staff at UK Athletics advised by Salazar and his staff. The US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) launched a probe after allegations emerged that Salazar violated anti-doping rules.
Usada reportedly believes L-carnitine infusions given by intravenous drip to six US runners training with Salazar ‘almost certainly’ broke anti-doping rules.
In 2015, Salazar was accused of violating anti-doping rules in a BBC report, including claims that he was involved in doping US Olympic runner Galen Rupp.
Salazar maintains that he has always fully complied with the World Anti Doping Agency code. Farah did not comment. UK Athletics said the L-carnitine dose was approved.