Mo Farah is angry his name is "being dragged through the mud" and "wants answers" following allegations linking his coach Alberto Salazar with doping.
The British Olympic and world champion says he will "be the first to leave" Salazar if the claims, made in a BBC investigation, are proven true. Farah phoned Salazar on Friday demanding answers and the American told him: "Mo, I can prove this to you - it's just allegations - I'll show you some evidence".
However, the 32-year-old, who said he would not leave his coach because he has "not seen any clear evidence (of doping)", wants further assurances "as soon as possible". "I'm really angry at the situation," said Farah. "It's not right or fair. I haven't done anything but my name is getting dragged through the mud. "I need to know what is going on. Are they true or not? If they turn out to be true I will be the first person to leave him."
"My reputation is getting ruined. You guys are killing me," he told a news conference. "I'm a clean athlete. I'm against drugs 100% and believe anyone caught should be banned for life." Farah had earlier told the BBC that he had "not taken any banned substances and Alberto has never suggested that I take a banned substance".
UK Athletics said it has "no concerns over the conduct and coaching methods of Salazar in relation to Farah or in his role as an endurance consultant" with the organisation. However, its board will undertake a "focused review of the performance management system surrounding Farah and the endurance programme" in light of the allegations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/33034350
just in - Farah interview, will leave Salazar if allegations proven true
Report Thread
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Ha ha - Mo wants answers.
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part of interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBKOnDqOdfY -
This won't save Mo.
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He knows the answer already. He is just upset because his Nike money gravy train will come to a full stop. I find it impossible to believe that he didn't benefit from the NOP pharmacy.
They do everything together. Does he really expect us to believe that he was told Galen has to go into special room for 1/2 hour while he waited outside bouncing soccer ball on his head? -
It's incredibly hard to tell if someone is being sincere, and I think Mo is pretty convincing in that interview clip. I've always seen his career as one of progression and think that he's successful just because he's been so consistent over a long period of time, and he had a breakthrough in training just a little bit later than most people. I really hope Mo himself hasn't doped.
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Seems pretty convincing, but then again, so was Lance.
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Ah yes, the conveniently-vague "proof" request. Was there any "proof" Lance doped? No, it was all "rumors" and "hearsay."
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I actually really think that Farah comes away as pretty believable in this interview. When this news came out, I initially found it very unlikely that Mo would be completely innocent if what was being said about Alberto and Rupp was true. However, I do feel differently after this interview. I don't think it would be wise for him to call out Alberto the way that he did in this interview if he knew something was going on: if, inevitably, the allegations were to be proven, the only thing that could stand between his implication (if he was involved) could be Alberto's willingness to save him. Putting public pressure on him by saying that the he, the media, and the public deserve answers could very much destroy his relationship with Alberto and take away any chance of his protection if Mo happened to be involved. It would be far easier to just say that he believes in Alberto, having been a part of the group, and preserve the possibility of some protection down the road if he was at risk.
Additionally, his responses did not seem scripted or methodical. Compare the way that Armstrong would conduct his denial interviews: he seemed as if he was on trial each time, giving short and often abrupt, terse answers as one would on the witness stand or during a deposition. Those are the exact answers that one would be coached on by a lawyer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4yNzMjAOo0
Farah, on the other hand, seems more sincere. Of course that could be wrong, but it really does come off that way:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBKOnDqOdfY
I wouldn't have believed that if Alberto was providing drugs and Rupp was using them, that Farah could be clean. But the more I think of the situation, the more it seems possible that Rupp and Alberto would both stand to benefit by keeping the rest of the group in the dark. With the number of people coming in and out of the program, they would take on a significant level of rest because any single athlete could leave at any point or inform authorities if they were informed about a doping strategy. With athletes in and out over the years, this would be a constant threat to the program. Rupp and Salazar, however, clearly had a level of trust and closeness that trumped the rest of the group. The two both stood to benefit by protecting the other, as the fall of one would lead to the fall of the other's entire body of work. -
He's flat out lying in the interview
It's blatantly obvious -
Mo has obviously decided to go down with the NOP ship, along with Salazar and Rupp. Centro's twitter tirade makes me think he will go down with them as well. They will all claim: I never tested positive.
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Down with the NOP ship wrote:
Mo has obviously decided to go down with the NOP ship, along with Salazar and Rupp. Centro's twitter tirade makes me think he will go down with them as well. They will all claim: I never tested positive.
I think Mo just did the opposite. He just said that Alberto claims he has evidence to prove his innocence and that he will leave if the allegations are true. That sets the stage for jumping ship and puts public pressure on Alberto to produce. Centro does seem all in though. -
holborn wrote:
UK Athletics said it has "no concerns over the conduct and coaching methods of Salazar in relation to Farah or in his role as an endurance consultant" with the organisation. However, its board will undertake a "focused review of the performance management system surrounding Farah and the endurance programme" in light of the allegations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/33034350
Dear UK athletics. It's none of your f*ucking biz who an athletes chooses to be coached by. This isn't the Soviet union. People have free will. Particularly runners that basically nobody regards as British except you when want to use him to boost you're medal count. How many days a year does Mo spend in UK territory? Get over yourselves. -
Considering Farah received an injection of adrenaline in his neck before the 10k in London, I'd say he knows more than he's telling. He might not be in as deep as rupp, but he's definitely in the gray zone.
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There is smoke wrote:
Considering Farah received an injection of adrenaline in his neck before the 10k in London, I'd say he knows more than he's telling. He might not be in as deep as rupp, but he's definitely in the gray zone.
Adrenaline injections are performed into the middle third of the thigh. -
Adrenaline wouldn't help over 10000
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There are too many doping experts on these forums who know what works and what doesn't work, and under what conditions things don't and do work.
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Khgcfghjjhh wrote:
holborn wrote:
UK Athletics said it has "no concerns over the conduct and coaching methods of Salazar in relation to Farah or in his role as an endurance consultant" with the organisation. However, its board will undertake a "focused review of the performance management system surrounding Farah and the endurance programme" in light of the allegations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/athletics/33034350
Dear UK athletics. It's none of your f*ucking biz who an athletes chooses to be coached by. This isn't the Soviet union. People have free will. Particularly runners that basically nobody regards as British except you when want to use him to boost you're medal count. How many days a year does Mo spend in UK territory? Get over yourselves.
You're a muppet. -
Piano_Man87 wrote:
Seems pretty convincing, but then again, so was Lance.
You think Lance was convincing? Seriously? Lance was *never* convincing to me. From day one he acted like a guilty man. He never showed a moment of politeness, humility, kindness, or civility in his entire career, not before he was diagnosed with cancer, and certainly not after. When rumors began to fly he reacted by trying to destroy the careers of those who were brave enough to speak out. I never trusted Lance, not from day one, two, three ...
None of us know if Mo is cheating. My personal guess is that he is clean, but I admit I do not know. We don't have anything like enough information. I do know that Mo Farrah has at least made a considerable effort to show some appreciation for the folks in the UK who have helped him. He is not a saint, but whom among us can say that? His character is vastly more forthcoming and contrite than Lance Armstrong. He does have the misfortune to have fallen under the spell of Alberto Salazar, who, like Armstrong, is not a man gifted with humility.
At the *very* least, Mo deserves a chance to clear his name. Those of you who are *certain* he must be cheating ... what else to you make decisions about for which you have so little information? It's a mystery to me why you pay any attention to the sport given this level of negativity. For sure, there needs to be an investigation, but there are dozens of people further up in the suspicion queue, against whom there is far greater reason to be suspicious. -
Regardless of if he leaves or not, if the allegations are true ALL coached by Salazar will be looked at as guilty by the general public.
