Farah, coach cleared over doping allegations

Mo Farah was given the all clear to continue working with Alberto Salazar on Friday after UK Athletics announced it found “no reason” to sever its own ties with the coach, despite the explosive doping allegations against him.

However, UKA said its oversight group had made “organisational and procedural recommendations” which would be put in place in the coming months. The results of the investigation were carried out by the Performance Oversnight Group.

However, UKA announced it would formally review the relationship between Salazar and Farah.

Their intervention came after a UK Athletics performance oversight group, composed of the former 100m sprinter Jason Gardener, Dr Sarah Rowell and the Paralympic wheelchair racer Anne Wafula Strike, found there was “no reason” to doubt UKA’s confidence in the Nike Oregon Project, where Farah has trained under Salazar since 2010.

“The review established that the vast majority of the endurance program’s interaction with the Oregon Project is in fact focussed on Mo Farah, with very little other UK Athletics related activity”.

The accusations surrounding the Oregon Project will now be further investigated by the United States Anti-Doping Authority (USADA). They have asked us not to give any further details of our review until their work has concluded.

But the audit’s lack of scope, and the intentions of UK Athletics, were immediately called into question by Steve Magness, whose allegations against Salazar were a key part of Panorama’s documentary.

Yet this week UKA officials were keen to stress that the committee was not investigating doping allegations, pointing to the original terms of reference. If any suspicion of a doping violation arises at any time, the Committee should immediately notify the relevant authority’.

Farah, the reigning Olympic and world champion over both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, has faced intense media scrutiny after allegations Salazar administered testosterone to American distance runner Galen Rupp in 2002 when Rupp – a training partner of Farah – was only 16, and encouraged misuse of prescription drugs.

There is no suggestion Farah, 32, has been involved in doping.