Mo Farah: I Would Have Been First To Ditch Salazar If I Knew About The Doping
10th January 2020
Farah, who achieved the 5,000 metres/10,000m Olympic double in 2012 and 2016, told the Daily Telegraph he feared nothing from having his previous samples retested
- British athletics great Mo Farah says he would have been the first athlete to leave disgraced coach Alberto Salazar's camp had he known he was involved in doping
- Farah was criticised for staying on with the 61-year-old Cuban-born naturalised American till 2017, two years after a BBC documentary first aired claims about doping within the camp
- The World Anti-Doping Agency is to investigate athletes from the Oregon Project -- which Nike closed down in October -- and could retest past samples
LONDON, United
Kingdom- British athletics great Mo Farah says he would have been the first
athlete to leave disgraced coach Alberto Salazar's camp had he known he was
involved in doping.
The 36-year-old Somalia-born distance runner -- who will bid
for a third successive 10,000 metres Olympic title in Tokyo this year rather
than continuing to conquer the marathon -- told the BBC he wished he had been
aware sooner about Salazar's illegal activity at the Nike Oregon Project.
Farah was criticised for staying on with the 61-year-old
Cuban-born naturalised American till 2017, two years after a BBC documentary
first aired claims about doping within the camp.
When Salazar was banned for four years by the US Anti-Doping
Agency (USADA) in October for doping violations, Farah was reluctant to talk
about his former coach, who is now appealing the ruling at the Court of
Arbitration for Sport.
"Had I had known the news, what Salazar did, it's taken
four years, had I known that sooner I would have been the first one out,"
said Farah.
"That's the bit that's kind of annoying, I wish I'd
known quicker. I haven't been part of Salazar for the last two years."
The World Anti-Doping Agency is to investigate athletes from
the Oregon Project -- which Nike closed down in October -- and could retest
past samples.
Farah, who achieved the 5,000 metres/10,000m Olympic double
in 2012 and 2016, told the Daily Telegraph he feared nothing from having his
previous samples retested.
"I don't think there has ever been a problem for
me," he said.
"I am very honest, probably one of the most tested
athletes. I am happy for all my tests to be retested and to use the samples.
"That's all you can do."
Farah, who is also a three-time world champion, said he
could do nothing about there being a permanent cloud of doubt hanging over him
because of his association with Salazar.
"I was out of that (Nike Oregon Project) two years
ago," he said.
"That is quite a while. I believe in hard work. There
is no allegation against me. It just follows me.
"You have got to be honest with yourself -- there is
nothing that I would change."