Top coach Salazar barred after doping ban
DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — The World Athletics Championships were rocked by a drugs scandal yesterday after top coach Alberto Salazar was banned for doping, dealing a fresh body blow to the image of track and field at the sport’s showpiece event.
Salazar, best known for coaching Britain’s four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah, was handed a four-year ban by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for a catalogue of drugs violations.
The 61-year-old Cuban-born American’s suspension following a years-long investigation by USADA into the activities of his Nike-backed Oregon Project training group in Portland.
Jeffrey Brown, a Texas endocrinologist who treated many of Salazar’s athletes at the Oregon training hub, was also suspended for four years.
Salazar, who denied the allegations against him, was effectively kicked out of the World Championships yesterday after being stripped of his accreditation.
Two members of the Oregon Project have won gold medals at the championships, including American Donavan Brazier, who powered to victory in yesterday’s 800m final in a championship record time.
None of the athletes taking part at the world championships linked to Salazar have been found guilty of doping offences, and none were implicated in USADA’s 134-page summary of the case.
The international Athletics Integrity Unit watchdog meanwhile notified athletes with links to Salazar to cease communication with the coach.
In announcing the bans against Salazar and Brown, USADA praised other athletes for speaking out.
“The athletes in these cases found the courage to speak out and ultimately exposed the truth,” said USADA chief executive Travis Tygart.
In a statement on the Oregon Project’s website, Salazar, a former top marathon runner, denied ever doping his athletes and vowed to appeal.
“I am shocked by the outcome today,” Salazar said. “Throughout this six-year investigation my athletes and I have endured unjust, unethical and highly damaging treatment from USADA.”
“The Oregon Project has never and will never permit doping.”
Nike meanwhile vowed to back Salazar, saying the USADA sanction “had nothing to do with administering banned substances to any Oregon Project athlete”.
“We support Alberto in his decision to appeal and wish him the full measure of due process that the rules require,” a company statement said.