Sir Mo Farah's ex-coach Alberto Salazar BANNED from athletics for four years for doping offences

SIR Mo Farah's former coach Alberto Salazar was yesterday banned from athletics for four years for doping offences.

Salazar, 61, who oversaw the British athlete's most successful period on the track, trafficked banned testosterone, an investigation found.

A US Anti-Doping Authority probe found he possessed the performance-enhancing hormone while working at the Nike Oregon Project.

It was at that facility that Salazar trained Mo, 36, to become the most successful competitor in British athletics history.

The runner won the majority of his ten Olympic and World Championship medals with Salazar as his trainer between 2011 and 2017.

A USADA panel announced yesterday it had also banned Dr Jeffrey Brown, who treated Salazar's athletes, for four years.

WINNING 'TOP PRIORITY'

USADA CEO Travis Tygart said: "While acting in connection with the Nike Oregon Project, Mr Salazar and Dr Brown demonstrated that winning was more important than the health and wellbeing of the athletes they were sworn to protect."

There was no suggestion in the USDA ruling that any athlete – including Sir Mo – took part in doping.

But it said Salazar "administered or attempted to administer a prohibited method to multiple track and field athletes."

FOUR-YEAR PROBE

The ruling is the culmination for a four-year USADA sparked by a BBC report that detailed some of Salazar's practices.

That report included allegations Salazar used infusions of a legal supplement called L-carnitine that is said to enhance athletic performance.

The BBC said marathoner Kara Goucher and former Nike Oregon Project coach Steve Magness, were among those who gave evidence.

USADA said it received information from 30 witnesses.

QUESTIONS FOR UK ATHLETICS

The ruling will raise questions about UK Athletics and its ability to police the sport in Britain.

It had done its own investigation into Salazar and said Farah could continue working with him.

Sir Mo parted ways with Salazar in 2017 – saying he wanted to move back home to the UK.

Salazar also coached 2012 Olympic silver medallist Galen Rupp.

Salazar, Rupp and Farah have previously denied any wrongdoing.

USADA said it relied on more than 2,000 exhibits between the two cases and that proceedings included nearly 5,800 pages of transcripts.

Mr Tygart added: "The athletes in these cases found the courage to speak out and ultimately exposed the truth."

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