Double Olympic champion Mo Farah reiterated that he has never taken banned substances to gain a competitive advantage and would leave the Nike Oregon Project should doping allegations against his coach Alberto Salazar be proven as true.

 

In a recent interview with Sky Sports News in the UK, Farah responded to repeated questions regarding the accusations raised by former Nike Oregon Project team members and coaches that Salazar has advocated the misuse of prescription thyroid and asthma medications as well as testosterone. 

Farah denies ever using testosterone, EPO, HGH (human growth hormone), thyroid medication, or any other performance enhancing drug in the interview, stating that he is “100% clean.”

“For people to think I’m taking a shortcut, it’s not right, and it’s not fair,” Farah told Sky Sports. 

While the accusations published by the BBC’s Panorama and ProPublica on June 3rd centered on Salazar and Farah’s training partner Galen Rupp, Farah has gotten caught up in Britain’s media frenzy around the story due to his close association with the pair. Farah joined the Portland-based group in February of 2011. 

Farah himself said he was “shocked” by the accusations. 

Salazar and Rupp have denied any wrongdoing, while former Nike Oregon project member Kara Goucher insists that Salazar has violated anti-doping rules, and stated her willingness to go under oath over the weekend. Goucher was a member of the Nike Oregon Project from 2004-2011.

After dropping out of the Birmingham Diamond League 1500m on June 7th citing emotional and physical exhaustion due to the accusations, Farah returned to Portland to seek answers from Salazar. 

The 32-year-old was satisfied with the response he got from his coach, and remains loyal to him, though he told Sky Sports, “If it’s proven that he’s crossed the line, yeah I’m the first person who’s out.”