Los Angeles (AFP)
American Alberto Salazar, the British Mo Farah's controversial coach until 2017 and athletes competing at the Doha World Championships in Qatar, has been suspended for four years for "incitement" to doping, the US Anti-Doping Agency said on Tuesday ( uSADA).
Salazar, 61, is the mentor of the Oregon Project, a top-notch training group based in the northwestern United States and funded by Nike, which has been a success since several years in the middle and middle distance.
The British superstar Mo Farah, four-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion (5,000 and 10,000m), has been part of the group until 2017, including American Galen Rupp (double Olympic medalist).
Several Salazar-trained athletes are at the Doha Worlds: Dutchman Sifan Hassan won the 10,000m on Saturday and hopes to double with 1,500m, Americans Clayton Murphy (2016 Olympic bronze medalist) and Donovan Brazier qualify for the final 800 m Tuesday.
Alberto Salazar is suspended for "organizing and instigating banned doping conduct," Usada said in a statement.
The coach, former marathon runner and controversial for several decades for his ability to play with the limits of the rules, denied any involvement in doping and announced in a statement that he would appeal.
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