Mo Farah Test me any time, anywhere
Briton says reputation intact despite Salazar Olympian ‘let down’ by press over banned coach
Mo Farah insisted his reputation remained untarnished, saying he was happy to be tested “any time, anywhere” as he addressed the doping scandal surrounding his former coach Alberto Salazar in a defensive press conference yesterday.
Speaking in public for the first time since Salazar was kicked out of the sport for a string of drug violations, the former Olympic champion said: “There is no allegation against me. I’ve not done anything wrong. Let’s be clear – these allegations are about Alberto Salazar.”
Salazar had previously guided Farah to four Olympic and six world titles. The scandal has cast fresh scrutiny over Farah’s decision to stick with Salazar for two years after the doping allegations against the American first surfaced in 2015.
But in a defiant appearance ahead of tomorrow’s Chicago Marathon, Farah turned his fire on the press and said: “I feel let down by you guys, to be honest.”
He revealed that he flew to the United States to confront Salazar in 2015, saying: “He assured me at the time these are just allegations, this is not true… and he promised me.”
He went on to say he was “one of the most tested athletes in the world”, adding: “I am happy to be tested any time and anywhere and for my samples to be used for whatever they need to do. Keep it and freeze it, there is not much more I can do.”
Farah added: “I have no time for anyone who has crossed the line,” but repeatedly referred to the charges against his former coach as “allegations”. He said he was unaware Salazar had even been charged until he saw the press coverage. “If that is proven that he crossed the line, it’s Wada’s [the World Antidoping Agency] decision, that is all we can do,” he said.
Farah also suggested there was a racial element in coverage of the scandal, saying: “I am reading this story all the time, as much as I am nice to you, there is a clear agenda to this. I have seen this many times. I have seen it with Raheem Sterling, with Lewis Hamilton. I cannot win, whatever I do.”
Farah finally quit Salazar’s Nike Oregon Project late in 2017 to move back to London and focus on marathon training. But he insisted at the time that his departure had nothing to do with the allegations, saying: “If Alberto had crossed the line, I would be out the door.”
It was revealed on Oct 1 that Salazar had been fighting a legal battle behind closed doors since the US Anti-doping Agency (Usada) charged him with various offences in early 2017. The case eventually went to an arbitration tribunal, which found Salazar guilty and resulted in the American having his accreditation immediately revoked from the World Championships, where he had been looking after a number of athletes.
Salazar was found guilty of trafficking testosterone, administering a prohibited intravenous infusion and tampering with the doping control process along with Jeffrey Brown, an endocrinologist who treated several athletes at the Oregon training hub. Both have been suspended for four years.
Yesterday, Nike announced it was shutting the elite training group, which has been under Salazar’s stewardship for 18 years.
Salazar, himself a former marathon champion, launched the Portland-based programme with Nike funding under the stated aim of making American distance runners competitive on the world stage.
It had considerable success, with Galen Rupp winning two Olympic medals under Salazar’s guidance, while Matthew Centrowitz claimed Olympic 1500 metres gold and Donavan Brazier won the world 800m title last week. The group has also had success with international athletes, including an unprecedented 1500m/10,000m double by Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan at the recent World Championships. No athletes have been accused of any wrongdoing.
With his athletes told to have no contact with Salazar, Nike has confirmed the training programme will be disbanded immediately. Its website and social media channels have been taken down.
Kara Goucher, who trained under Salazar before blowing the whistle on her former coach, tweeted: “Feeling relieved that no more athletes will have to wear this shameful uniform. But Mark Parker [Nike’s chief executive] can’t have it both ways. You can’t support clean sport and still defend Salazar.”
“Nike has always tried to put the athlete and their needs at the front of all our decisions,” read a Nike statement.