Doha (AFP)
US 800m World Champion Donavan Brazier, a member of the group led by Alberto Salazar, who has been suspended for four years for anti-doping offenses, would find it "stupid" to be involved in accusations about the Oregon Project coach.
"It would be really stupid to associate myself with all this, I think the investigation started when I was still in high school, just thinking about associating with it would be ignorant," Brazier said. in a press conference.
Having become world champion in the 800m on Tuesday after a dazzling race (1: 42.34, record of the Championships), Donavan Brazier (22) joined in the summer of 2018 the Oregon Project, a group of very high level in the northwestern United States funded by the Nike equipment manufacturer.
"Since the start I have only been in contact with Pete Julian (his coach in the group) I have never been coached by Alberto When the investigation started I did not even know that Oregon Project existed, I did not know anything about it, I just woke up this morning and learned that, which disappointed me. "
On the night of Monday to Tuesday, after six years of investigation, the US anti-doping agency (Usada) announced the four-year suspension of Salazar for "organization and incitement to prohibited doping conduct".
The controversial ex-coach of British star Mo Farah has been kicked out of the Doha World Cup (Qatar), where seven Oregon Project athletes are in the running, two of whom have already been nominated (Sifan Hassan over 10,000m in addition to Brazier). Alberto Salazar announced that he was going to appeal.
© 2019 AFP