The British distance runner Mo Farah has denied that a professional split from Alberto Salazar has anything to do with 'doping allegations.'
A four-time Olympic gold-medalist across the 2012 and 2016 games, Farah had been working with the Cuban-born American Salazar at the Nike Oregon Project camp since 2011.
Book-ending a period in which Farah not only claimed four Olympic golds but six world titles also, he informed the Sun that his reasons for terminating this link were largely practical:
I'm leaving simply because my family and I are moving back to London.
We want the kids to grow up in the UK. It's the right thing to do for my family. But both Nike Oregon Project and Alberto are based in the USA, so it just would not be possible to continue our relationship from London.
Questions surrounding Salazar's potential involvement in doping have recently shaped much of the dialogue surrounding Farah's athletic achievements.
Addressing the issue of doping in his statement, Farah remained adamant however that he is a 'firm believer in clean sport':
I strongly believe that anyone who breaks the rules should be punished. If Alberto had crossed the line I would be out the door but USADA (US Anti-Doping) had not charged him with anything.
If I had ever had any reason to doubt Alberto, I would not have stood by him all this time.
Farah's move back to Britain coincides with his intention to forgo middle-distance running and become a competitive marathon runner instead.
Expected to partake in his first serious outing over the marathon distance in London in April, Farah will now work with Gary Lough, the coach and husband of Paula Radcliffe - the women's marathon record holder for fifteen years and counting.
Farah recently competed in London during the 2017 World Athletics Championships, an event that was perhaps notable for the slight shift in BBC coverage regarding Farah and the issues his relationship with Salazar presented - this shift was demonstrated most acutely in Michael Johnson's assessment here.
