The crisis engulfing Mo Farah’s coach, Alberto Salazar, has deepened after another former member of the Nike Oregon Project added his voice to the doping allegations that have been made against the American.
Josh Rohatinsky, a former distance runner who is understood to be one of 17 witnesses linked to the Nike Oregon Project (NOP) who are now making claims about Salazar, wrote a detailed post on his Facebook page on June 5.
Rohatinsky, 33, does not make any new revelations but the athlete who was a member of Salazar’s elite training group says he believes the testimonies of those who spoke to the BBC Panorama programme that sparked the controversy surrounding Farah’s coach and his training partner, Galen Rupp.
‘I absolutely believe the full extent of the evidence brought forth in the report/documentary by all the witnesses — the Gouchers, John Stiner, and Steve Magness,’ wrote Rohatinsky, who finished fifth in a 10 000metres trial for Beijing 2008 and also missed out on qualifying for the Olympic marathon before retiring in 2010.
‘I know the Gouchers personally and thank them for their work on this. I also was with the team and John Stiner at the altitude camp he spoke about in Park City, and believe his report as well.
‘I have never met Steve but from all accounts believe him to be an honest individual. Furthermore, I firmly believe that any and all PED (performance enhancing drugs) activity within the NOP while I was there was limited to Galen Rupp.
‘The entire time I was with the group there was always what I would call a wall of separation between Alberto/Galen and the rest of the group. Galen was very much Alberto’s son while the rest of the group were his athletes.
‘In saying this I will give credit to Alberto, he worked his butt off for all of us and was very dedicated to taking care of the needs of everyone in the group. But that wall was always there, and the level of secrecy and seclusion was definitely palpable.
‘Galen was improving during my time with the group and began making World Championship teams and so forth. He obviously didn’t peak until a few years after I left, when he took silver in London in the 10,000m.
‘I have to admit, watching that race live was surreal to me. Seeing someone I had trained with consistently for two years not too long before — and beaten several times in races in the years prior to that in college — push through that last lap and accelerate on the homestretch to beat the likes of the Bekele brothers was incredible.
‘Galen’s progression from 2006-2012 was highly suspicious to me, particularly since I spent two of those six years with him. Again, he worked his butt off and I can attest to that but even with that, the progression just doesn’t add up to me.’
Salazar and Rupp deny the allegations made against them, while Farah is not accused of any wrongdoing. The post was published on the respected American running forum Let’s Run.
Meanwhile, Farah has been backed by UK Athletics to put the doping scandal surrounding Salazar to the back of his mind and return to competition in the next few weeks.
Farah pulled out of last week’s Birmingham Diamond League, to the disappointment of fans who had paid £50 a ticket, despite UK Athletics chairman Ed Warner and a host of others begging him to race. The 32-year-old is next scheduled to race at the London Anniversary Games on July 25 inside the Olympic Stadium, the scene of his greatest triumphs. It would be a massive blow to event organisers and the sport’s governing body if he were to withdraw from that meeting but Warner predicted Farah would honour his commitment.
‘I don’t have fears at all about Mo missing more meetings,’ said Warner. ‘Of course this is a sport where athletes need to be fit and healthy and so I would be touching wood if there was any around. But all things considered I think he’s in a good frame of mind in difficult circumstances.
‘I’m sure he is looking forward to the rest of the season with some enthusiasm. I am sure we will be seeing in on the Diamond League circuit in the next few weeks and seeing him at the World Championships in Beijing.
‘I think he will go out there and give his best and reward those who have got faith in him which we absolutely have. He is going to get out there and show what a great athlete he is in the summer, I am convinced of that.’ – Daily Mail