Mo Farah vents about competing against former drug busts

Better man on course won yesterday..!! Will be back..!! Thx everyone 4 your great support #Edinburgh #roadtorio2016 pic.twitter.com/DwGi7oDm91

— Mo Farah (@Mo_Farah) January 10, 2016

Following Saturday’s Great Edinburgh International Cross-Country race, Mo Farah didn’t shy away from controversy when asked by The Guardian about competing against former drug cheats.

RELATED: Garrett Heath wins Great Edinburgh, defeats Mo Farah.

“I’m racing against a guy who I lost a medal to – but am I ever going to get that medal back?” Farah questioned in reference to Alemayehu Bezabeh. “No. Anyone associated with that [doping] should get a lifetime ban. I’m doing it the right way so let me do what I do, let me run.”

Bezabeh defeated Farah at the 2009 European Cross-Country Championships but was busted for doping and given a two-year ban in 2011. Bezabeh was caught carrying his own blood for a blood transfusion when Spanish police were investigating an alleged doping ring in 2010 as part of Operation Galgo.

Bezabeh, a Ethiopian-born athlete now representing Spain, was not a factor in Saturday’s race, finishing 25th out of 30 competitors.

Farah, the double Olympic champion in the 5,000m and 10,000m, was defeated by American Garrett Heath on Saturday.

When asked about whether the IAAF can be relied upon to combat doping in athletes, Farah replied, “I trust myself, I don’t know if I trust anyone else, that’s all I can do.”

Farah also provided his followers with some sneak peek photos of potential Nike prototypes, albeit covered in mud, on Twitter following Saturday’s race.

.Testing in progress. On my feet: the future of running.@NikeUK pic.twitter.com/WIDvU8ycVP

— Mo Farah (@Mo_Farah) January 9, 2016

RELATED: Probe finds no wrongdoing by Mo Farah.

The Portland, Ore.-based runner trains with Canadian Cam Levins as part of the Nike Oregon Project. The group was in hot water in the summer after a ProPublica piece was released linking the group with banned substances.

UK Athletics cleared Farah.

Cover photo: Mo Farah via Twitter.