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Rediff.com  » Sports » Champion sprinter Mo Farah missed drug tests before London Olympics?

Champion sprinter Mo Farah missed drug tests before London Olympics?

Last updated on: June 19, 2015 19:50 IST
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Mo Farah of Great Britain celebrates after breaking the record enroute to winning the mens 2 miles final during the Sainsbury's Indoor Grand Prix at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on Saturday

Mo Farah of Great Britain celebrates after breaking the record enroute to winning the mens 2 miles final during the Sainsbury's Indoor Grand Prix at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham in February. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Jessica Ennis-Hill's top Olympic coach Toni Minichiello has blasted Britain's double Olympic champion, Mo Farah, for missing drugs tests prior to the 2012 London Olympics.

Minichiello, who trained heptathlon champion Ennis-Hill, said that it was part of the job as a professional athlete.

He said that an athlete should be organised well enough and should not be missing tests, adding that the 'one hour availability' was a good system, the Mirror reported.

According to a report in Britain's Daily Mail, Farah missed the first doping test in early 2010, months before he joined Alberto Salazar's Nike Oregon Project and the second one came at his home in February 2011, when he claimed not to have heard the doorbell.

At the time, the rules meant that a third missed test within an 18-month period (now reduced to 12) would almost certainly have resulted in a ban that would have probably ruled him out of the London 2012 Olympic Games, where he won gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres.

 "I have never taken performance-enhancing drugs in my life and I never will," Farah said in a statement published on his Facebook page on Friday.

 "Over the course of my career I have taken hundreds of drugs tests and every single one has been negative.

 "I've fully explained the only two tests in my career that I have ever missed, which the authorities understood, and there was never any suggestion that these were anything more than simple mistakes."

The 32-year-old has been under the spotlight since his coach Alberto Salazar was accused of violating anti-doping rules in a BBC documentary earlier this month.

American Salazar, who has worked as a consultant for British Athletics since 2013, has denied the allegations, saying the BBC and US website ProPublica had engaged in "inaccurate and unfounded journalism".

Farah, who was not accused of any wrongdoing in the BBC documentary, withdrew from a Diamond League meeting in Birmingham earlier this month after expressing anger over the allegations made about Salazar.

Farah was upset his name had "been dragged through the mud" and said he would seek assurances from Salazar, with whom he has worked since 2011.

"As I made clear, I went to Portland to speak to Alberto Salazar and demand answers," Farah said.

"He reassured me that the claims are false and that he will soon be providing evidence to make that clear. Until then I will not be commenting further on the allegations."

UK Athletics are currently conducting a formal review into the relationship between Salazar and Farah, which is expected to be completed by the first week in August.

Farah announced on Wednesday he will return to competitive action at the Monaco Diamond League meeting on July 17.

However, many athletes came out in support of Farah saying that missing a test was not equal to taking drugs.

Olympic medal winner and BBC commentator Brendan Foster said that the British runner was regularly tested and was one of the most tested athletes in the game.

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