Reider facing further sanctions for sexual misconduct

WORLD ATHLETICS are scrutinising the case of rana reider after the globally renowned sprint coach admitted to having an intimate relationship with one of his athletes.

The 52-year-old, who had been the subject of an 18-month investigation into multiple complaints of sexual misconduct, was formally sanctioned by the US centre for SafeSport yesterday after accepting there was a ‘power imbalance’ in the dynamic with an ‘adult athlete’ in his group. a statement by reider’s lawyer, ryan Stevens, said the american was ‘not found in violation of any other sexual misconduct claims’, with the coach placed on a one-year probation by SafeSport and ordered to take an online course. Bizarrely, SafeSport have issued no statement of their own, nor were they prepared to comment when contacted by Mail Sport.

There remains a possibility of further sanctions from further afield for reider, who coached British olympian adam Gemili until last august, and was also working with Daryll Neita prior to her departure in the months after the complaints became public in November 2021. owing to his situation, reider was denied accreditation for last year’s World championships in eugene, and then received a police caution for being on site. World athletics yesterday said in a statement: ‘We understand the US centre for SafeSport has issued a decision regarding the rana reider case. We have not yet had access to it but as soon as we do we will consider any implications and communicate further.’

Mail Sport reported in December 2021 that reider had an alleged affair with a British athlete 26 years his junior. Sources claimed the alleged affair started around 2014 when the female sprinter was 18 and he was the UKA sprints and relays lead. This newspaper revealed concerns were raised with UKA in a report by senior team officials following a series of alleged incidents at the World Junior championships in eugene, oregon in July 2014. a senior member of the delegation told us that there was alarm within the team that the athlete had visited the 44-year-old’s room for treatments and it is also understood there was a confrontation with reider when he was seen holding her hand.

The athletics Integrity Unit yesterday said: ‘We will consider the matter, but we are not in a position to comment at the moment.’