Farah Can Work with Salazar - UK Athletics

UK Athletics has said it has no concerns over Mo Farah’s continuing relationship with Alberto Salazar despite doping allegations made against the Cuban-born coach.

In June, UKA announced the details of its formal review into the relationship between Salazar and Farah after allegations made in a Panorama documentary. The programme, screened at the start of June, alleged that Farah’s training partner Galen Rupp had been taking the banned anabolic steroid testosterone since he was 16 under the supervision of Salazar.

The results of the investigation carried out by the Performance Oversight Group (POG) were published on Friday.

“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. 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,” read the statement.

“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.

“The Oversight Group has made a number of organisational and procedural recommendations which UK Athletics’ Performance Director Neil Black will take forward and implement over the coming months.

“Obviously since our review was set up USADA announced that it was conducting an investigation into allegations made in respect of staff within the Oregon Project. USADA is clearly the right body to look at anti-doping issues. They have asked us not to give any further details of our review until their work has concluded. We respect their request and are of course giving them our fullest support and co-operation.”

Related articles

• Mo Farah hits back with 10,000m gold at world championships in Beijing
• Mo Farah calls for longer bans for international drugs cheats
• Farah will return to Oregon Project soon, says Salazar
• Alberto Salazar, Mo Farah to continue partnership in World Championships
• Mo Farah: Paula Radcliffe must decide about publishing her blood data
• Mo Farah: No more fudging over dope tests.. new Scots coach Barry Fudge is steering me back to Beijing glory

Farah Enjoys Another Double Win

Double Olympic champion Mo Farah is the father of twin girls, he has announced.

Farah, who won the men's 5,000m and 10,000m amid joyous scenes at the Olympic Stadium, said it was "great news".

His wife Tania was heavily pregnant when she joined him on the track after his first triumph three weeks ago.

The Team GB runner had dedicated his medals to his unborn daughters after achieving the rare double and sealing his status as a star of the Games.

Speaking at a press conference in Birmingham on Saturday, Farah said: "My wife has been holding on so long and it's great that she held on this long and didn't give birth on the track (at the Olympics)."

He said he had been present when his wife gave birth in London on Friday.

When asked how fatherhood compared with winning an Olympic gold medal, he said: "It's completely different. It's out of your control, it was weird, but as a father I'm very proud.

"To have three kids in the family is going to be exciting. If my wife has another two more twins boys, I'll be a happy man."

Farah also said his stepdaughter Rihanna was "very excited" by the arrival of her new sisters.

He said while no names had been picked, they would eventually be inscribed on his gold medals.

"I am actually going to get their names on it, once we've figured out something with the medals - one on each. And then whatever one was born first gets the 10,000m and the other gets the 5,000m one."

Farah, 29, broke the British indoor record for two miles this year and will try to break Steve Ovett's 1978 outdoor mark of eight minutes, 13.51 seconds in Birmingham.

Related articles

• Fly Mo Wins Olympic Gold Double
• Mo Farah eyes London Marathon after Olympics glory
• Mo Farah dedicates 5,000m and 10,000m Olympic gold medals to unborn twin daughters
• Farah claims second Olympic gold
• No way to describe gold - Farah
• Farah races 10,000m Olympic glory

Photo of the Day - Bolt Does the Mobot

Gold medalist Mohamed Farah of Great Britain (L) and Usain Bolt of Jamaica pose on the podium on Day 15 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 11, 2012 in London, England.

(August 10, 2012 - Source: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images Europe)

Mo Farah Wins Olympic Gold Double

Mo Farah completed an epic Olympic double as he added the 5000m gold to his 10000m crown on Saturday night.

Seven days after claiming Britain's third gold in the space of 45 minutes on 'Super Saturday' in the longer distance, Farah produced another brilliant performance to send the Olympic Stadium into wild scenes of celebration once again.

Roared on by a capacity 80,000-strong crowd, the 29-year-old Londoner hit the front with 700m remaining and was never headed, covering the last lap in under 53 seconds to hold off Ethiopia's Dejen Gebremeskel to win in 13 minutes and 41.66 seconds. Thomas Longosiwa of Kenya claimed bronze.

Just five men in Olympic history had previously taken the 5,000m and 10,000m titles at the same Games - Emil Zatopek of the old Czechoslovakia in 1952, Vladimir Kuts of the USSR in 1956, Finland's Lasse Viren in 1972 and 1976, Miruts Yifter of Ethiopia in 1980 and Kenenisa Bekele, also of Ethiopia, at Beijing four years ago.

Farah's victory also meant Britain have won four track and field golds for only the third time since the Second World War, matching the haul from Tokyo in 1964 and Moscow in 1980.

Farah had looked understandably tired in the heats on Wednesday, after which Gebremeskel acknowledged that running a fast race might be the only way to deny Farah victory.

However, if that was the plan it was curiously ignored as the 15-strong field set out at an incredibly slow pace - with more than one lap taking 73 seconds - 20 more than Farah's closing lap to win the 10,000m.

It took until the midway point of the race for the pace to be wound up but Farah was able to respond and move up to second behind Gebremeskel with three laps to go.

With 700m remaining the 29-year-old hit the front and still led at the bell, at which point he crucially refused to give up his prime position on the inside and accelerated again to stay ahead of the pack.

Gebremeskel, the fastest man in the world this year, briefly closed on Farah down the home straight, but the home favourite was not to be denied a fabulous triumph - and even had the energy to celebrate with a few sit-ups on the track.

Thrilled

Farah said: "It's just unbelievable. "The American guy (Galen Rupp) tried to come past me, but I knew I just had to hold on to it. I had great support from the crowd. It means a lot to me."

He was watched by wife Tania, pregnant with twins due imminently, and daughter Rihanna.

"Those two medals are to my two girls that are coming. They're not born yet hopefully," Farah said. "They're twins so there's one for each. They could arrive any day."

As for his short-term future on the track, Farah said: "I don't know what's going on. I'm taking one race at a time.

"The Olympics doesn't come round often. It's all worked out well. I'm just amazed. Two gold medals - who would have thought that? I just want to thank everyone who's supported me.

"All my coaches from previous years and all the people who've been involved in my life. I can't thank everybody enough.

"I want to say particularly to my wife, with her carrying twins, it hasn't been easy but I didn't want to know about it.

"If anything happens she promised she wouldn't let me know so I'm glad it all worked out well."

He added: "It's been a long journey grafting and grafting, but anything is possible."

Farah Flies in Helsinki 5k

Mo Farah retained his 5,000m European Championships title with a comfortable victory in Helsinki.

Farah, who took gold over the same distance at last year's World Championships, won in a time of 13 minutes 29.91 seconds.

Farah had chosen Helsinki over the 5,000m at the Olympic trials as he prepares for London, where the 29-year-old will seek his first Olympic medal.

Germany's Arne Gabiuis finished second in 13:31.83.

Turkey's Polat Kemboi Arikan took the bronze medal in 13:32.63.

Farah was happy to settle in the pack in the opening stages of the race before challenging Arikan at 3,000m. He led for the remainder of the race, easily accelerating away from his nearest challengers in a sub-54 second final lap.

The Briton, who had been accused of being "disrespectful" to his fellow competitors in the 1500m heats at last weekend's trials for celebrating 100m from the line and then choosing not to run the following day's final, was keen to stress that his race choices were made with his Olympic chances in mind.

"I got a little bit of stick for it but I didn't intend to disrespect anyone," Farah said after his Helsinki win. "Sometimes you get carried away and do a celebration.

"I didn't do the 1500m final but it was just to save my legs and to come out here and get a good race and see where I am.

"I apologise to everyone who bought tickets [for the day of the final] but this medal means more to me than doing the final and getting a medal there."

Farah Fastest at Prefrontaine Classic

Mo Farah passed his first major test of the Olympic summer with flying colours by winning the 5,000 metres at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in the fastest time in the world this year.

The world champion clocked 12 minutes 56.98 seconds, the second fastest he has ever run over the distance and a meeting record, to comprehensively beat Ethiopian great Kenenisa Bekele at the Diamond League meeting.

The time was less than four seconds off his British record and a big statement of intent ahead of the Olympics.

Kenya's Isaiah Kiplangat Koech was second in 12mins 57.63secs, with Farah's American training partner at his base in Portland, Galen Rupp, third.

Bekele, the Olympic champion and world record holder for the 5,000 and 10,000m, could only manage fourth in a season's best 13m 01.48s.

Farah had a tough start to 2012, missing out on a medal at the World Indoor Championships in March, but has now won his opening four races of the outdoor season.

Farah Will Run in London Grand Prix

World champion Mo Farah says he will compete over 5,000m at the Aviva London Grand Prix in July.

The Crystal Palace meeting, which takes place on 13 July, will be the distance runner's last event before the Olympics.

Mo Farah Agrees with Cram

World 5,000m champion Mo Farah admits he has lost his "air of invincibility" after his defeat in the 3,000m at the World Indoor Championships in Turkey.

BBC Sport columnist Steve Cram said Farah's fourth place was Britain's "biggest concern" in Olympic year.

And Farah said: "I agree with Steve. You want to keep that invincibility."

But looking ahead to the Olympics he told BBC Sport: "I'm definitely where I need to be. I'm probably a little bit more than what I need to be."

Farah, who won the 5,000m at last summer's World Championships, missed out on a medal in the 3,000m at last weekend's World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

The Somalia-born Londoner collided with Kenyan Edwin Soi before finishing fourth in seven minutes 41.79 seconds.

At one stage Soi was disqualified, handing bronze to Farah, only for the decision to be reversed on appeal.

Cram, a former world, Commonwealth and European middle-distance champion, said in his BBC Sport column that Farah's fourth successive defeat had handed confidence to the Briton's great rival Bernard Lagat, who clinched gold in Turkey.

However, Cram added there was no need for Farah to "press the panic button yet".

Farah said: "Steve's an athlete and I have a lot of respect for him, and what he was trying to say.

"He just said 'as an athlete, you just want to keep winning, you don't want to lose to another athlete'."

Farah said that competing at the world indoor event "was always fun and games", adding "at the same time I wanted to do well".

He said his next race would be the Bupa London 10km in May and he would return to Portland, Oregon, to train until then.

Farah Misses Out on Medal

Britain's Mo Farah missed out on a medal in the 3,000m at the World Indoor Championships after briefly being upgraded to bronze.

Farah collided with Kenyan athlete Edwin Soi and went on to finish fourth in seven minutes 41.79 seconds.

He was awarded the bronze position after the race, only for that decision to be reversed on appeal.

Shara Proctor , Andrew Osagie and Holly Bleasdale won bronze medals in the long jump, 800m and pole vault respectively.

“I'm feeling great, I can't ask for anything more”Shara Proctor

There was similar controversy in the men's 4x400m relay as the GB team of Conrad Williams , Nigel Levine , Michael Bingham and Richard Buck were promoted to a gold medal after the United States team were disqualified.

Farah, who finished ahead of Lagat in the 5,000m world outdoor final last August, had attempted to take the lead two laps from the end.

As Soi and fellow Kenyan Augustine Choge chased him, Soi collided with Farah in the final bend causing him to step off the track.

Farah said following the race: "I'm disappointed to finish fourth. I got pushed a bit but that's all part of the sport."

American Brittney Reese took the women's long jump crown with an incredible 7.23m on her final jump.

Proctor had equalled her British record of 6.86m in the third round before extending it by three centimetres to claim bronze behind Reese and Janay DeLoach.

The Anguillan-born athlete said: "Getting a bronze amongst all those great jumpers, I'm happy to wear this [British] vest. I'm feeling great, I can't ask for anything more."

There was a surprise medal for 24-year-oldOsagie, who took bronze in the 800m despite struggling with injury in recent months.

Bleasdale secured third place in the pole vault on her first major senior event with a best of 4.70m, behind Russia's two-time Olympic champion Elena Isinbaeva and Vanessa Boslak of France.

On a days which secured a record medal haul for Britain at a World Indoor Championships, the women's 4x400m relay team won a thrilling race just ahead of the United States.

Shana Cox , Nicola Sanders , Christine Ohuruogu and Perri Shakes-Drayton set a world-leading time of 3:28.76 to win one of three gold medals for GB at the Championships.

Winning nine medals in total, GB improved on their previous World Indoor record set in Birmingham in 2003.

In a hard-fought high jump competition with eight men all jumping over 2.31m, Robert Grabarz finished outside the medals in sixth with a best of 2.31m. Greece's Dimitrios Chondrokoukis lept to a personal best of 2.33m to win gold ahead of reigning Olympic champion Andrey Silnov of Russia.

Similarly, a strong women's 3,000m field kept Helen Clitheroe from the medals as she placed seventh in 8:59.04. Kenyan Hellen Obiri took the race in 8:37.16.

Andrew Pozzi capped an impressive debut World Indoor Championships by finishing fourth in the 60m hurdles. The 19-year-old, who ran personal-best times in the run-up to the final, clocked 7.58 as America's Aries Merritt claimed victory in 7.44. Xiang Liu of China and France's Pascal Martinot-Lagarde trailed.

Neither of Britain's young female sprinters were able to impress in the 60m, with Asha Philip and Jodie Williams both failing to qualify for the final.

Ennis Shows Form in BIrmingham

Jessica Ennis ran the fastest 60m hurdles in the world this year as British athletes impressed at the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham.

The heptathlete ran a personal best 7.87 seconds to beat hurdles specialist Danielle Carruthers into second.

Pole vaulter Holly Bleasdale, long jumpers Shara Procter and JJ Jegede, 400m runners Shana Cox and Nigel Levine and high jumper Robbie Grabarz all won.

But Mo Farah came second behind Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya in the two miles.

Kipchoge was too strong in the closing stages and finished in a personal best of 8:07.39, while 5,000m world champion Farah still broke the British and European record with his time of 8:08.07.

"I was a bit disappointed with the race," Farah told BBC Sport. "I felt a bit heavy."

That was in marked contrast to many of his fellow Britons, with the jumpers in particular impressing as both Proctor (6.80m) and Jegede (8.04m) set personal bests - Proctor breaking the British record.

Ennis also set a personal best with 6.47m in the long jump to set her up for next month's defence of her pentathlon title at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul.

"I feel in really good shape and to come here and do two PBs is definitely where I need to be in a few weeks' time for the World Indoors," said Ennis.

"You never know how the next year's going to go, how you are going to build on it, if you are going to improve.

"At this stage in my career I don't expect to be making massive, massive improvements, so when you do do personal bests it gives you a lot of confidence and I have really built on last year."

Bleasdale gave another indication of her remarkable recent improvement by defeating Poland's Anna Rogowska on countback in the pole vault, with both women clearing 4.70m after the Briton had earlier failed her opening two efforts at 4.52m.

"I still feel like there's something lacking in my jumping," said Bleasdale. "My run-up was really good again today but I can't seem to translate that speed into my vault to get the big heights - but to jump 4.70, I'm really happy."

In the high jump, Grabarz was six centimetres clear of Slovakia's Michal Kableka with a winning leap of 2.32m, while fellow Briton Samson Oni took third with 2.23m.

Levine won the men's 400m in 45.71, although Costa Rican Nery Brenes had the victory within his grasp before falling in the final few metres which allowed the Briton to run past. Richard Buck earlier won a national 400m race in 45.88.

Hannah England declared herself "really pleased" with a season's best 4:09.79 in the 1500m, although the Briton was never in touch with Ethiopia's Genzebe Dibaba, who powered away to win in 4:01.33.

Asha Philip ran a personal best 7.19 in the 60m, and Joe Thomas did the same with 1:46.35 in the 800m.

Among the international stars on show, Asafa Powell had to settle for third (6.50) in the men's 60m behind fellow Jamaicans Nesta Carter (6.49) and Lerone Clarke (6.47).

And China's Liu Xiang dominated the 60m hurdles, clocking a national record 7.41 to finish ahead of Cuban rival Dayron Robles (7.50).

"I am especially happy to get a national as well as Asian record," said Xiang. "I still feel though that over the first two hurdles I didn't do very well and that there is work to be done there. I am excited about the rest of the year now."

Farah Clocks Glasgow Win

Mo Farah began Olympic year with victory in the 1500m at the indoor Aviva International Match in Glasgow.

Britain's 5,000m world champion battled through in three minutes 39.03 seconds ahead of Kenya's Agustine Choge.

There were wins for fellow Britons Jeanette Kwakye and Mark Lewis-Francis in the 60m, but Hannah England was edged into second place in the 1,500m.

Great Britain won the team event ahead of Russia, Germany, a Commonwealth Select squad and the United States.

Farah was made to fight hard by Choge, overtaking the Kenyan with 300m to go and holding on in a sprint for the line.

"This crowd was amazing and I'm really happy to win, they got behind me and I couldn't believe how much noise there was," he told BBC Sport.

"I had to stay on the inside line. I'd been told by my coach to try and run the shortest distance and keep in front of him."

Kwakye ran a blistering 60m in 7.26 seconds, finishing two tenths clear of second-placed Yasmin Kwadwo of Germany.

"It's nice to perform like that because I'm still in heavy training, it feels good," said Kwakye.

"Compared to last year I felt a lot more confident in myself, the work I'm doing and my fitness. Technically we've been working on so many things, so my coach and I will pick that apart."

Lewis-Francis then beat Kim Collins by one tenth with 6.65, saying: "I kind of got my adrenaline from Jeanette. I've been up and down in training and I'm happy with that. If I can stay injury free then the world's my oyster."

England earlier looked impressive as she clocked 4:25.11 in the 1,500m, despite seeing Germany's Denise Krebs grab victory with a lean over the line to finish in 4:25.09.

"It was a lot of fun," said England, who has been training in Kenya with a group of athletes that includes Farah.

"I didn't want to go that early but I was back in fifth and I thought I'd just go. I've not done an awful lot of speed work and I'm excited about running the trials and then Birmingham and being a lot sharper."

After a slow start from the British athletes there was unexpected success in the 200m, as Danny Talbot beat the experienced and multi-medal winning Collins, before Margaret Adeoye set a personal best of 23.68 in the women's race.

"I was hoping to win," said Adeoye. "I thought 'I feel good' and I was just going to go for it, and that's what I did."

Talbot enjoyed his first international victory as he won in 21.17 ahead of Collins, saying: "It's such an honour to be on the track with him; he's a legend in athletics."

Joe Thomas played his part in a surge of strong British results by winning the 800m in a personal best of 1:47.35, and Helen Clitheroewas well satisfied with a time of 8:45.59 in the 3,000m - although she finished some distance behind training partner Helen Obiri of Kenya, who ran 8:42.60.

"I'm very happy with that," said Clitheroe. "Obviously I wanted to win but I've run faster than I did last year. To open with my second fastest time ever is really good."

And asked about the chances of her competing at next month's World Indoor Championships, she added: "My coach and I are going to have a discussion about that after Birmingham, but if I'm in shape and think I'm going to be in contention for one of the top positions, I definitely want to go there."

There was a worrying failure for European and Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion Andy Turner in the 60m hurdles.

He struggled with a long-standing Achilles injury as he finished fifth, and last, in 7.74 behind Russia's Konstantin Shabanov (7.54).

"Every step hurts again, the same thing as last year," said Turner. "Every time I land off the hurdle I can feel it and you can't hold your position. Every step is painful. I don't know what to do.

"I'm going to have to see the doctors. They were really good last year, they sorted it out."

Farah Starts Work in Birmingham

Mo Farah will race over two miles at the Birmingham Grand Prix on 18 February as part of his preparations for the London 2012 Olympics.

The 28-year-old world British 5,000m champion returns to the National Indoor Arena where last year he broke the British and European 5,000m records.

Farah, who also won world 10,000m silver in Daegu last year, said: "The Birmingham field will be world class.

"It always is and it's exactly what I need in an Olympic year."

Farah's personal bests over one mile, 3,000m, two miles and 5,000m have all been set in Birmingham over the years.

"Birmingham's a pretty special place to me," he admitted. "I've competed there so many times and I've had some great races there.

"I don't want to go to a meet and know that it will be an easy run.

"I want to be racing against the best and being pushed to run faster. That allows me to work on my race strategy, to keep my head right during the race and to hopefully finish up with a positive result."

Farah, who is based in Portland, Oregon, will begin his 2012 season with a 1500m race at the International Match in Glasgow at the end of January.

John Mayock's 10-year-old British two-mile record is eight minutes 17.06 seconds.

FARAH'S INDOOR BESTS

1500m - 3:40.57 (2009)

1 mile - 4:00.46 (2007)

3,000m - 7:34.47 (2009)

2 miles - 8:20.95 (2008)

5,000m - 13:10.60 (2011)