Former Mo Farah's Coach Alberto Salzar Banned from Athletics for Doping Violations

Posted by: Watch Athletics


 

The United States track and field coach, Alberto Salazar, has been banned from athletics for 4 years for doping violations.

USA TF Removes Salazar's World Championships Accredititation 

Alberto Salazar is the head of Nike Oregon Project who coached Great Britain's Mo Farah to 4 Olympic Games gold medals and 6 World titles. American mid-distance runner Mathew Centrowitz of the United States under his guidance won men's 1500m gold at Rio Olympics. He is also a coach of American distance runner star Galen Rupp, who took silver in 10000m at London Olympics and bronze at Rio Olympics marathon. Two days ago Salazar's athlete Sifan Hassan of Netherlands won the women's 10000m final at the World Athletics Championships in Doha. He has other athletes competing at ongoing World Championships in Doha such as Clayton Murpy, Rio Olympics 800m bronze medalist and Germany's Konstanze Klosterhalfen. Ethiopian athlete Yomif Kejelcha, who broke World indoor mile record and won 3000m indoor title last year, is also coached by Salazar.

The US Anti Doping Agency (USADA) ran a four-year investigation and found Salazar guilty on a series of charges brought against him.

Four years ago BBC Panorama together with a US Website ProPublica ran an investigation and revealed unethical practices at the US training base in Beaverton, Oregon.

Another figure that has been banned for four years is Dr. Geoffrey Brown, a Nike-paid endocrinologist who worked with many of Salazar's athletes.

Salazar and Dr. Jeffrey Brown were charged by USADA in March 2017. They fought the case with Nike-paid lawyers and the case went to American Arbitrors Association.

  • Per the BBC's Mark Daly, "the violations relate to banned steroids, prohibited methods and tampering with evidence to thwart investigators."

Here is the full details what Salazar and Dr. Brown were banned for, per USADA

The panel determined that Salazar committed the following violations of the Code:

  • Administration of a Prohibited Method (with respect to an infusion in excess of the applicable limit),
  • Tampering and/or attempted tampering with NOP athletes’ doping control process, and
  • Trafficking and/or Attempted Trafficking of testosterone.

The panel determined that Brown violated anti-doping rules by:

  • Tampering with L-carnitine records under WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) Code Art. 2.5 (2009 & 2015), which carries a sanction of 2 years WADA Code Art. 10.3.1 (2009), and 4 years under WADA Code Art. 10.3.1 (2015).
  • Administration of an over-limit L-carnitine infusion under WADA Code Art. 2.8 (2009 & 2015), which carries a minimum sanction of 4 years up to a maximum lifetime ban under WADA Code Art. 10.3.2 (2009) and WADA Code Art. 10.3.3 (2015).
  • Complicity in Salazar’s trafficking of testosterone under WADA Code Art. 2.8 (2009) and WADA Code Art. 2.9 (2015). Under WADA Code Art. 10.3.2 (2009), a complicity violation carries a minimum sanction of 4 years up to a maximum lifetime ban. Under WADA Code Art. 10.3.4 (2015), a complicity violation carries a sanction of 2 to 4 years.

Read full USADA statement here

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