Olympics hero Mo at centre of drug storm
MO FARAH was forced to deny taking banned substances yesterday after his athletics coach found himself at the heart of sensational doping allegations.
Alberto Salazar, who has worked with Great Britain’s Olympic gold medallist since 2011, is accused of violating antidoping rules.
A BBC investigation claimed Salazar was involved in doping US record-holder Galen Rupp, who won the 10,000m silver medal behind Farah at the London Olympics in 2012.
Farah – who won both the 10,000m and 5,000m titles in London – and Rupp are part of Salazar’s US sta-
‘Like stuff you see in the movies’
ble of high-performance athletes called the Nike Oregon Project. There is no suggestion Farah, 32, has broken any rules. The British star told the BBC: ‘I have not taken any banned substances and Alberto has never suggested that I take a banned substance.’
He said that ‘in my experience’, Salazar and the Oregon Project had ‘always strictly followed’ World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules and sought guidance from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) if there were any question marks.
Salazar, who won the New York Marathon three years in a row and is now one of the world’s most successful coaches, and Rupp strenuously deny any wrongdoing.
But a BBC1 investigation screened last night spoke to former athletes and coaches who claimed Salazar’s methods included the use of banned drugs and unethical practices – methods which carry a lifetime ban. It claimed Rupp, who has worked with Salazar for 14 years, had been given the outlawed anabolic steroid testosterone in 2002 when he was just 16.
Steve Magness, Salazar’s No 2 at the Oregon Project in 2011, said he saw a document which claimed the athlete was on ‘testosterone medication’. He added: ‘When I saw that, I kind of jumped backwards. Testosterone is obviously banned... everybody knew that. When I looked a little further I saw it was all the way back in high school – and that was incredibly shocking.’
Magness, 30, also claimed to have found pills in a hollowed-out paperback novel while Rupp was competing in Germany in 2011, saying it was ‘like stuff you see in the movies’.
Magness left the project after the 2012 Olympics and reported his concerns to the USADA.
The BBC said it was aware of at least seven athletes or staff associ- ated with the Oregon Project who said they had gone to the USADA with their concerns.
The USADA does not confirm or deny investigations.
Salazar said the legal nutritional supplement Testoboost had been incorrectly recorded on Rupp’s document as ‘testosterone medication’. He added: ‘I believe in a clean sport and a methodical, dedicated approach to training and have never, nor ever will, endorse the use of banned substances with any of my athletes.’
Rupp, 29, said: ‘I have not taken any banned substances and Alberto has never suggested that I take a banned substance.’
None of the Oregon Project athletes has ever failed a drug test.
David Howman, of WADA, said: ‘I think it needs to be scrutinised by us as an independent body.’