Mo Farah: Review finds ‘no reason’ for concern over coach

Mo Farah will be staying with Alberto Salazar's training group after an independent audit set up by UK Athletics found there was "no reason" to lack confidence in his training programme at the Nike Oregon Project – and "no reason" to be concerned about any other British athlete or coaches involved with it.

The news will come as a relief to Farah, who has said he would stick by Salazar unless there was clear evidence of wrongdoing, as well as British Athletics performance director Neil Black and head of endurance Barry Fudge, both of whom have worked closely with Salazar.

The performance oversight group was set up in the wake of an investigation by the BBC's Panorama and the US news website ProPublica which alleged in June that Salazar had violated a series of anti-doping rules, including given Farah's training partner testosterone .

UK Athletics said it was not able to give full details of the review by its performance oversight group, composed of Jason Gardener, Dr Sarah Rowell and Anne-Wafula Strike, because the United States Anti-Doping Agency had asked them not to while they continue their investigations into Salazar. However, in a statement it confirmed that the audit had found no evidence of any wrongdoing: “In July we said that there was no evidence of any impropriety on the part of Mo Farah and no reason to lack confidence in his training programme,” it said. “The oversight group have restated that view today.”

They have also found no reason to be concerned about the engagement of other British athletes and coaches with the Oregon Project.

“The review established that the vast majority of the endurance program’s interaction with the Oregon Project is in fact focussed on Mo Farah, with very little other UK Athletics related activity. Coaching and support for Mo Farah will remain the focus of our engagement with the Oregon Project.”

Salazar has denied any wrongdoing and there was no suggestion Farah had done anything wrong. Guardian service