Alberto Salazar may have breached anti-doping rules: Leaked report

Nike Oregon Project coach Alberto Salazar is believed to have provided performance-enhancing substances to his athletes, according to a leaked United States Anti-Doping Agency report. The Sunday Times reported the news on Saturday in a piece entitled “Coach Alberto Salazar accused of endangering Mo Farah with drugs” saying Salazar gave L-carnitine to runners.

As ESPN notes, L-carnitine, an amino acid, is not an banned substance. However, “infusions of more than 50 mL in the span of six hours are prohibited.” The USADA report, which claims Salazar “almost certainly” broke the rules by providing L-carnitine via an IV drip, was never released publicly with the reason being unclear.

Here is the front page of the Sunday Times with some initial details on their Alberto Salazar story. pic.twitter.com/UYar251eLS

— Chris Chavez (@ChrisChavez) February 25, 2017

The leaked USADA report is dated March 2016, which at the time was approximately eight months into a Salazar investigation in regards to doping-related allegations. The interim report is believed to have been leaked by the Russian hacking group Fancy Bears, which notably released athlete information on multiple occasions in 2016. USADA, via Twitter, stated Saturday that “we understand that the licensing body is still deciding its case and as we continue to investigate whether anti-doping rules were broken, no further comment will be made at this time.”

“Importantly,” the statement continues, “all athletes, coaches and others under the jurisdiction of the World Anti-Doping Code are innocent and presumed to have complied with the rules unless and until the established anti-doping process declares otherwise. It is unfair and reckless to state, infer or imply differently.”

Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah, who Salazar coaches, posted a statement to his personal social media accounts on Sunday morning, in part saying “I am a clean athlete who has never broken the rules in regards to substances, methods or dosages and it is upsetting that some parts of the media, despite the clear facts, continue to try to associate me with allegations of drug misuse.”

USADA statement

Full USADA statement on the recently-published Sunday Times report. pic.twitter.com/gH6xGKsqDZ

— Ryan Madden (@Ry_Madden) February 26, 2017

Mo Farah’s statement

.Annoyed I've had to post this today… pic.twitter.com/48UQo8ZjLx

— Sir Mo Farah (@Mo_Farah) February 26, 2017

UPDATE: Salazar’s response to the allegations

Alberto Salazar responds to Sunday Times allegations: It "has simply recycled old allegations that have been refuted almost 2 years ago." pic.twitter.com/irZFVAIKr7

— Sean Ingle (@seaningle) February 26, 2017

The United States Anti-Doping Agency launched an investigation into Salazar after BBC and ProPublica published a report in 2015 that the coach used prescription drugs and therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) to push the boundaries of performance. Salazar responded with a lengthy 12,000-word piece explaining many of the publications’ allegations.

The Times reports that Salazar described the substances as having “incredible performance boosting effects,” information which he relayed to former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong. Sports Illustrated writes that Steve Magness, a then-assistant coach with the group, “underwent an experimental L-carinitine infusion” and said the usage was “within the range that occurs with blood doping.” Salazar told the Sunday Times that any infusion was given “exactly the way USADA directed.”

Cam Levins is the only Canadian runner to currently train under Salazar as part of the high-profiled Nike Oregon Project, a group which also includes 2016 Olympic 1,500m champion Matt Centrowitz and 2016 Olympic marathon bronze medallist Galen Rupp.