Britain's Olympic and world champion Mo Farah said he had no plans to end his relationship with coach Alberto Salazar, despite allegations the American had encouraged his athletes to use illegal substances.
“I'm not leaving Alberto, for the reason I've not seen any clear evidence,” Farah told a news conference in Birmingham, central England, on Saturday ahead of Sunday's Diamond League meeting in the city.
“I spoke to Alberto (on Friday night), I got on the phone and said to him, 'Alberto, what's going on?' and he said, 'Mo, I can prove this to you - it's just allegations - I'll show you some evidence', and I said, 'Okay'.
“I'm really angry at this situation. It's not fair, it's not right. I haven't done anything but my name's getting dragged through the mud,” added Farah, who did the double in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres at the 2012 Olympics, 2013 World Championships and last year's European Championships under Salazar's guidance.”
However, he added he would end his relationship with Salazar if the allegations were upheld.
“It's something not in my control but I want to know answers,” Farah said.
“I need to know what's going on -- if these things are true, if they're not true. If they turn out to be true, and Alberto has crossed the line, I'm the first person to leave him.”
A BBC documentary, broadcast on Wednesday, alleged Salazar, 56, had encouraged athletes including America's Olympic 10,000 metres silver medallist Galen Rupp, a training partner of Farah, to use illegal substances.
Farah, in an earlier interview with the BBC, said: “I have not taken any banned substances and Alberto has never suggested that I take a banned substance.”
Both Salazar and Rupp, silver medallist behind Farah in the 10,000m at the 2012 London Olympics, have insisted they are innocent of the allegations.
Meanwhile Farah himself has not been accused of wrongdoing by the BBC.
Salazar, a three-time winner of the New York Marathon, has worked with Rupp since the American was a teenager and has coached Farah since 2011. – AFP