Farah stands by coach unless doping accusations confirmed

BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - Double Olympic champion Mo Farah declared on Saturday he would stay with his coach Alberto Salazar unless there was clear evidence that the American was involved in doping. Salazar was accused of administering banned substances to his athletes in a BBC documentary screened this week. At a news conference on Saturday on the eve of the Birmingham Diamond League meeting 32-year-old Briton Farah said his name had been "dragged through the mud" since the allegations were aired. "I am not leaving Alberto for the reason that I haven't seen any clear evidence," Farah, who won the 5,000 and 10,000 metres double at the 2012 London Games, said. "If the allegations are true then I will be the first man to leave him. "I have not done anything but my name has been dragged through the mud. It's not right, not fair and I am angry. You guys are killing me. It's not about me it's about Alberto. "I'm a clean athlete. I'm against drugs 100 percent and believe anyone caught should be banned." Farah said he had spoken to Salazar on Friday night who had told him the allegations were not true. UK athletics chief executive Niels de Vos said Salazar had assured the governing body he would respond in full to the accusations.

(Reuters)

(editing by Justin Palmer)