US athletics trainer Salazar is banned for life because of sexual and emotional misconduct

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Athletics trainer Alberto Salazar (archive image)

Photo: Kin Cheung / dpa

The American "SafeSport" center has banned athletics trainer Alberto Salazar for life because of sexual and emotional misconduct.

The 62-year-old Salazar has ten days to appeal this decision, it said.

The center, which monitors cases of sexual abuse, as well as other psychological and physical assaults, does not disclose details of investigations into cases.

The US Athletics Federation USATF has updated Salazar's status in its database of disciplinary incidents.

"No form of abuse will ever be tolerated in our sport, and we will put the emotional and physical security of athletes above all else," the association said.

He is said to have abused female runners emotionally and physically

In 2019, runners from Salazar's training group such as Mary Cain, Kara Goucher and Amy Yoder Begley accused him of having been emotionally and physically abused by him.

The US coach headed the Nike Oregon Project for athletes for many years, which closed in October 2019.

Salazar won the Boston and New York marathons in the early 1980s, and later coached Olympic medalists such as Mo Farah and Galen Rupp.

The American anti-doping agency banned Salazar for four years in September 2019.

While no athlete who trained under him ever tested positive for a prohibited substance, the Usada found that Salazar had manipulated doping controls and traded in prohibited substances, including testosterone.

The native Cuban denied the allegations and appealed to the International Court of Justice.

The Cas has not yet made a decision.

mas / dpa