A post on Olympic and World 5000m and 10,000m champion Mo Farah‘s social media said “the last two weeks have been the toughest of my life” with scrutiny on the British runner following a report implicating his coach in wrongdoing.
“The last two weeks have been the toughest of my life – with rumours and speculation about me that are completely false – and the impact this has had on my family and friends has left me angry, frustrated and upset,” was posted on Farah’s social media Friday.
Farah’s coach, Alberto Salazar, was accused of violating medical and anti-doping rules with his athletes at the Nike Oregon Project by the BBC and ProPublica in reports published June 3.
Farah is a Nike Oregon Project athlete who trained under Salazar since before he swept the 5000m and 10,000m at the London 2012 Olympics and Moscow 2013 World Championships.
Farah was not implicated in “inappropriate drug use” by any of the former Nike Oregon Project team members interviewed, according to ProPublica. He has also never failed a drug test.
“I have never taken performance enhancing drugs in my life and I never will,” was posted on Farah’s social media. “Over the course of my career I have taken hundreds of drugs tests and every single one has been negative.”
On June 8, UK Athletics’ chairman said the organization would conduct an independent review into Farah — “blood data, supplements data, everything surrounding his medical treatment.”
On June 6, Farah said he wouldn’t leave Salazar because he hadn’t seen “clear evidence” against the coach but said he would leave if the accusations involving Salazar and/or other team members were proven true.
“I need some answers,” Farah said he told Salazar. “He goes, ‘Mo, I can prove this to you. These are just allegations. I’ll show you some evidence.’”
Farah said on June 6 it’s not fair that his name “is getting dragged through the mud” despite not being accused of wrongdoing.
“If Alberto has crossed the line, I’m the first person to leave him,” Farah said.
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