UK athlete Farah pulls out of race over coach doping claims

The UK’s Olympic gold medalist, Mo Farah has pulled out of a race in Birmingham following days of stress over doping allegations made against his coach.

In a statement made just hours before the race, Farah said: “This week has been very stressful and taken a lot out of me. I have not been able to focus properly on today’s race and after the events of the last few days feel emotionally and physically drained.”

“I want to run well in the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Beijing and have decided it is better for me to go back to the US, seek answers to my questions and get back into training.”

“I apologize to the people who bought tickets to come and watch me race and ask for your understanding at this time.”

His coach, Alberto Salazar has come under scrutiny this week after allegations that he had been giving trainees performance-enhancing drugs. Farah has defended himself and insisted he is a “100% clean athlete.”

The allegations stemmed from a joint BBC and US non-profit news organization, ProPublica investigation which found Salazer gave testosterone to Galen Rupp, a former training partner of Mo Farah.

While both Salazar and Rupp deny the allegations, Farah has suggested he will not make any sudden decisions until evidence is provided. “I am not leaving Alberto, for the reason that I’ve not seen any clear evidence,” Farah said. “I have spoken to him and said, ‘What’s going on?’ I said I need answers and he said, ‘Mo, I can prove to you, these are just allegations.’

“But I’m really angry about the situation. It’s not fair. I haven’t done anything, but my name is getting dragged through the mud. My reputation is getting ruined.”

“You guys are killing me,” he said. “I know how hard I work, what I put my body through day in day out, 120 miles week in week out. If you have something on me then, of course, bring it.

“But it’s not about me, it’s about Alberto. Let’s put it on Alberto. Until then, there is nothing I can do.”

In a statement, British athletics said it “had absolutely no concerns over the conduct and coaching methods of Alberto Salazar in relation to Mo Farah or in his role as endurance consultant.”

SU/GHN

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