Alberto Salazar, Mo Farah's Ex-Coach, Given 4-Year Ban for Anti-Doping Breaches

The United States Anti-Doping Agency confirmed on Tuesday it has banned high-profile athletics coach Alberto Salazar for four years over breaches of anti-doping regulations.

USADA confirmed the ruling on its Twitter account:

In a statement on its official website, the organisation noted that Dr. Jeffrey Brown, who worked as an endocrinologist at Salazar's Nike Oregon Project, has also been banned for four years.

USADA chief executive Travis T. Tygart praised athletes who provided information on the practices used by Salazar and Brown.

"The athletes in these cases found the courage to speak out and ultimately exposed the truth," he said. "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."

BBC's Mark Daly provided more information on the sanctions and what rules Salazar was found to have breached:

The Guardian's Sean Ingle provided reaction from Salazar to the decision, as well as a comment from Nike backing the coach:

Salazar heads up the Nike Oregon Project, where four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Mo Farah trained between 2011 and 2017.

Farah issued his own response after the ban was confirmed, per Jamie Gardner of the Press Association:

In 2015, a BBC Panorama programme accused Salazar and the Oregon Project of doping violations. Salazar's former No. 2 Steve Magness said distance runner Galen Rupp was taking testosterone medication in 2002, when he was just 16.

In the statement from USADA on Tuesday, it's said Salazar was involved in "trafficking of testosterone through involvement in a testosterone testing program in violation of the rules."

Matt Majendie of the Evening Standard noted that the coach has been sent home from the IAAF World Championships in Doha and provided some reaction from USA Track and Field:

Farah is one of the biggest names to have worked under Salazar. In 2012 and 2016, he won both the 5,000- and 10,000-metre events at the Olympic Games.

Salazar was previously a world-class runner, winning the New York marathon three times in succession between 1980 and 1982. He also competed at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.