Nike Investigating Ex-Distance Runner Mary Cain's Allegations of Abuse

Nike is looking into allegations of physical and mental abuse made by former distance runner Mary Cain against the head coach of the company's now-defunct Oregon Project. 

Speaking to the New York Times, Cain said she was pressured by Alberto Salazar to become "thinner, and thinner, and thinner" and was publicly shamed in front of teammates if she didn't hit specific weight targets. 

Cain added Nike "endorsed" Salazar's behavior. Salazar denied the allegations in an email to the Times.

"We take the allegations extremely seriously and will launch an immediate investigation to hear from former Oregon Project athletes," Nike said in a statement, via ESPN. "At Nike we seek to always put the athlete at the center of everything we do, and these allegations are completely inconsistent with our values."

Cain, 23, joined the Nike Oregon Project in 2013 after becoming the youngest athlete ever to run in the final of the 1500 meters at the IAAF World Championships. 

She noted the pressure she felt to lose weight caused her physical problems, including losing her period for three years and making her susceptible to broken bones. Cain added that she had suicidal thoughts and self-harmed.

The Oregon Project was created in 2001 as a way to develop and train distance runners. Salazar served as head coach until September 2019, when he received a four-year ban from the United States Anti-Doping Agency for "orchestrating and facilitating prohibited doping conduct."

Nike shut down the Oregon Project on Oct. 10 in the wake of Salazar's ban. 

Cain called on Nike to be held accountable for a "systemic crisis" that causes young girls' bodies to be "ruined by an emotionally and physically abusive system."