Banned athletics coach Alberto Salazar’s four-year suspension has been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Author: Mark Daly

The 63-year-old was banned two years ago for a series of doping violations by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) but appealed against the decision. Salazar ran the Nike Oregon Project (NOP), based in Beaverton, Oregon.

It was established in 2001 and was the home British four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah. Farah has not been accused of doping, and left the Oregon Project in 2017.

A BBC Panorama programme in 2015 focusing on Salazar and the NOP prompted a four-year investigation by Usada and a two-year court battle behind closed doors. It eventually resulted in bans for both Salazar and Nike endocrinologist Dr. Jeffrey Brown, announced in October 2019. The appeals of Salazar and Brown, who was also banned for four years, were heard virtually over seven days in March earlier this year. A full report by CAS, which has upheld both bans, is due to be published within days.