Kara Goucher, the former University of Colorado distance star who left the Nike Oregon Project in 2011 after seven years, said for the first time in explosive reports published Wednesday that she stepped away from the high-profile distance group because of coach Alberto Salazar’s win-at-all-costs persona, his flippant attitude toward therapeutic use exemptions, his willingness to ignore anti-doping rules, and other actions of his that put her health at risk.
According to and , Goucher and her husband, Adam, also a former CU star and Oregon Project member, are among several former athletes and coaches who have gone to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency with their concerns. She returned to Boulder , the longtime coach at CU, and Heather Burroughs.
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“I was afraid to say anything,” she said, . “I’m tired of saying I’m off the Oregon Project because I had a baby and I no longer fit in.”
Attempts by The Denver Post to reach the Gouchers on Thursday were unsuccessful.
Olympian Kara Goucher poses for a portrait in 2014 in Boulder. Goucher revealed on Wednesday that she left the Nike Oregon Project because coach Alberto Salazar was violating anti-doping rules. (RJ Sangosti, Denver Post file)
Goucher said that after she gave birth to her son, Colt, Salazar wanted her to lose pregnancy weight. He ordered her to take Cytomel — a synthetic thyroid hormone given for people with underactive thyroids — even though she didn’t have a prescription. In fact, her own endocrinologist, whom she consulted after Salazar’s instruction, expressly told her not to take it because she was already taking another thyroid hormone, Levoxyl, which had been given to her before her arrival in Oregon to treat a thyroid problem caused by Hashimoto’s disease. Taken at high doses, such medication can often actually lead to weight gain.
Goucher said that Salazar told her to acquire the drug from Galen Rupp, one of the project’s longtime runners and the silver medalist in the 10,000 meters at the London Olympics.
“Just ask Galen for some of his. He has a prescription for it,” Goucher said Salazar told her, according to the report. Kara Goucher denied she took any of the drug.
Six months after the London Olympics in 2012, the Gouchers both went to USADA with their complaints and spoke to investigators for hours. They said they don’t know the status of the investigation.
“USADA takes all reports of doping seriously and we aggressively follow up on every report to fulfill our oath to protect clean athletes and the integrity of competition,” Annie Skinner, a spokeswoman for USADA, wrote in a statement to The Denver Post Wednesday night. “With that said, we do not confirm or deny the existence of any investigations. As we have stated many times and demonstrated in our actions since being founded in late 2000, we follow the evidence and in circumstances where the process results in credible evidence of doping we bring cases through the applicable legal process. It is important to re-emphasize USADA’s position that all athletes are innocent until and unless proven otherwise through the established legal process. Attempts to sensationalize or exploit either the process or the athletes are a disservice to fair play, due process, and to those who love clean sport.”
The Pro Publica report noted that the Gouchers did not have direct evidence of blood doping or testosterone use, the latter of which former coach Steve Magness spoke about in Pro Publica’s report. Goucher said that Salazar had coached Rupp on how to get saline drips via IV, which by themselves are not illegal and haven’t been shown to improve performance. But they were restricted by the World Anti-Doping Agency because athletes — including disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong — have used the technique to hide blood doping.
Goucher left Nike in 2013 and , including women’s apparel company Oiselle, shoe company Sketchers, the online cycling and running tracker Strava and several others. She currently lives and trains in Boulder.
Salazar and Rupp released separate statements on Wednesday night, nearly 12 hours after the reports first emerged. Rupp and his training partner, Mo Farah, of the United Kingdom, have never failed a drug test.
“I believe in a clean sport and hard work, and so do my athletes,” Salazar’s statement read. “Apparently that is not interesting enough for some. I am very disappointed that the BBC and ProPublica and their ‘reporters’ have allowed themselves to be used by individuals with agendas and have engaged in such inaccurate and unfounded journalism. Rather than present the facts, they opted for sensationalism and innuendo. It is particularly sad that they have attacked Galen and his excellent reputation, which he has earned through years of hard work.”
Here’s Rupp’s statement:
“I am very disappointed in the BBC and ProPublica. I am dedicated to clean sport and have worked extremely hard for every accomplishment in my running career. I expressly told these reporters that these allegations were not true and their sources admit they have no evidence, yet they print “suspicions” attacking me and sullying my reputation. That is inexcusable, irresponsible journalism.”
Nike also released a statement Wednesday night saying they took the allegations “very seriously.”
“Nike does not condone the use of performance enhancing drugs in any manner,” it read. “Both Alberto and Galen have made their perspectives clear and fully refute the allegations made against them.”
Updates Friday, June 5, 11:41 a.m.This story was updated to add statements from Rupp and Salazar and note that The Denver Post’s attempts to reach the Gouchers for comment have not been successful.
Reaction from the running community in Twitter
thank you for brining brave enough to share your experience.
— emma coburn (@emmajcoburn)
Fernando Cabada just finished second in the Bolder Boulder citizen’s race:
So I wonder if anything is gonna actually be done!?!
— Fernando Cabada (@FernandoCabada)
Not sure I can face watching (but I will). Just to say…there are a VAST number of athletes who wouldn’t dream of cheating
— Goldie Sayers (@goldiesayers)
Well said maybe we should start looking towards people who don’t get medals for inspiration.
— jemma simpson (@jemmasimpson)
. and thank you for being brave and honest in a culture of whispers and fear.
— Lauren Fleshman (@laurenfleshman)
. The fact that it’s seen as “courage” to even doubt Al Sal is disgusting.
— Blake Theroux (@KFTheroux)
If allegations are true, should Nike Oregon Project be renamed Nike Pharmacy Project?
— Tyler McCandless (@TrackTy)
thank you for speaking up
— Ben True (@bentrue)
Fans of soccer and athletics now getting a taste of what itap been like to follow pro cycling for the past 20 years
— Neal Rogers (@nealrogers)
