LONDON • Alberto Salazar, the high-profile track and field coach who trained Olympic gold medallists Mo Farah and Matthew Centrowitz, among others, was banned from the sport for four years by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) on Monday night.
In an official statement, the organisation said the 61-year-old was guilty of administering a banned substance, tampering and/or attempted tampering with the doping control process and trafficking and/or attempted trafficking of testosterone, although no athletes were cited for wrongdoing.
"The athletes in these cases found the courage to speak out and ultimately exposed the truth," said Usada chief executive Travis Tygart. "While acting in connection with the Nike Oregon Project, Mr Salazar and Dr (Jeffrey) Brown demonstrated winning was more important than the health and well-being of the athletes they were sworn to protect."
The announcement marked the culmination of a four-year investigation that Usada said included interviews with 30 witnesses, more than 2,000 exhibits and nearly 5,800 pages of transcripts, while also relying on eyewitness accounts, contemporaneous e-mails and medical records.
The punishment became official after a two-year court battle as two independent arbitration panels considered the cases.
Salazar said yesterday that he was "shocked by the outcome" and that he and his athletes had "endured unjust, unethical and highly damaging treatment from Usada". He added: "The Oregon Project has never and will never permit doping. I will appeal and look forward to this unfair and protracted process reaching the conclusion I know to be true."
The Cuba-born American is one of athletics' most famous coaches, but he has faced scrutiny and skirted controversy for several years.
The BBC first cast a light on some of his controversial practices in 2015, highlighting his reliance on infusions of L-carnitine, a supplement believed to enhance athletic performance.
Backed by Nike, though, he found success with several elite distance runners, notably four-gold Games champion Farah, and the pair enjoyed a fruitful six-year partnership. The Briton won gold medals in the 5,000 and 10,000m at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, before splitting with Salazar in October 2017.
In Rio, Centrowitz, who severed his relationship with the disgraced coach after last season, also became the first American since 1908 to win gold in the 1,500m event.
Yesterday, Farah insisted he had "no tolerance for anyone who breaks the rules or crosses the line".The 36-year-old Briton, who has become a full-time marathon runner since last year, said: "I'm relieved that Usada has, after four years, completed their investigation into Alberto Salazar. A ruling has been made and I'm glad there has finally been a conclusion."
Sifan Hassan, the newly crowned women's 10,000m champion, was, however, left "shocked" by the ban. The Ethiopia-born Dutch athlete, who won the title last Saturday, is still being coached by Salazar and is also among the favourites for the 1,500m on Friday.
Hassan said: "I was aware of the ongoing investigations when I joined the team and have always had a clean conscience, knowing we are being monitored to the absolute fullest by Usada and Wada (World Anti-Doping Agency)."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, WASHINGTON POST
