Athletics news - Mo Farah’s ex-coach Alberto Salazar handed four-year ban for doping scandal

The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said Salazar's punishment was for "orchestrating and facilitating prohibited doping conduct" as head coach of the Nike Oregan Project (NOP), a camp designed primarily to develop US endurance athletes.

After concluding its four-year investigation, USADA said that Salazar:

Farah trained under Salazar from 2011 to 2017, a period that saw him win four Olympic gold medals and six world titles. In 2017, Farah decided to move back to England but said at the time that the doping investigation was not the reason they parted ways.

"I’m relieved that USADA has, after four years, completed their investigation into Alberto Salazar," Farah said in a statement. "I left the Nike Oregon Project in 2017 but as I’ve always said, I have no tolerance for anyone who breaks the rules or crosses a line."

Jeffrey Brown, who worked as a paid consultant endocrinologist for NOP on performance enhancement and served as a physician for numerous athletes in the training program, also received a four-year ban.

Salazar, who also coached two-time Olympic medallist Galen Rupp, said he would appeal USADA's decision, and sportswear giant Nike said in a statement that it would stand by him.

"I am shocked by the outcome today," Salazar said in a statement. "My athletes and I have endured unjust, unethical and highly damaging treatment from USADA.

"The Oregon Project has never and will never permit doping. I will appeal and look forward to this unfair and protracted process reaching the conclusion I know to be true. I will not be commenting further at this time."

Several members of NOP are competing in the 2019 IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

None of the athletes Salazar has worked with were mentioned in Monday's report.

"The athletes in these cases found the courage to speak out and ultimately exposed the truth," Travis Tygart, USADA chief executive officer, said in a statement.

"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."

Salazar, 61, was a celebrated distance runner, winning three consecutive New York City marathons starting in 1980.

Nike funds NOP, the nation's most elite long-distance running training centre, in Portland, Oregon, under a $460 million (£374m) 26-year sponsorship deal with US Track and Field.