A renowned US sprint coach who is under investigation for sexual misconduct was tipped off by police in Eugene after gaining unauthorized access to the athletes’ warm-up area ahead of Saturday’s 100m world final. the night.
Rana Reider, trainer of British 200m star Adam Gemili, successfully gained access to Hayward Field in an attempt to help four of his sprinters in the men’s 100m, including eventual silver and bronze medalists Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell, despite having his accreditation blocked by World Athletics due to the accusations against him.
However, Reider was discovered by others who called security. When he refused to leave, the police intervened and arrested the American. They also warned him that if he returned he would be arrested for breaking and entering. When The Guardian notified World Athletics, it confirmed the story.
“Event security discovered an unaccredited person in the athlete warm-up area,” World Athletics said. “They asked him to leave and he refused. The police were notified immediately and went to remove him from the place. When he saw the police approaching him, he left the scene. Outside the place, the police stopped him and warned him that if he returned to the place he would be arrested for trespassing”.
Reider had earned a glittering reputation in the sport after guiding several Olympic and world champions to glory, including Tokyo 2020 Olympic 200m gold medalist Andre De Grasse, of his Florida-based Tumbleweed Track Club.
However, as The Guardian revealed last year, the American’s behavior off the track is now being scrutinized by the US Center for SafeSport, a powerful, independent body that handles investigations and complaints about abuse and misconduct in Olympic sports. .
After the story broke, UK Athletics warned Gemili to stop contacting the coach, or else his World Class Program membership, including lottery funding, would be suspended. However, he has continued to support his coach.
Reider denies any wrongdoing in the SafeSport investigation through his attorney, Ryan Stevens, who says the allegations against his client “have not been investigated” or “proven.”
On Sunday, The Guardian approached Reider, who was training an athlete from outside the perimeter fence of the official warm-up area. “Stay away from me, man,” he said, before admitting that he had been in the official area with accreditation on Saturday night.
The World Athletics statement was then read to him and he was asked for comment. Reider later claimed not to speak English, but instead conversed in Spanish.
Gemili kicks off her 200m campaign on Monday afternoon local time, but most British eyes will be more focused on Laura Muir in the 1500m final that evening.
The likable 29-year-old won an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo last year and says she is “chilled” and ready to fight for another medal.
Laura Muir on her way to qualifying for the 1500m final. Photograph: Christian Petersen/Getty Images
But while Muir looks like a strong bet for a podium spot, he knows Ethiopia’s Guduf Tsegay and Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon will be tough to beat. “I’m getting faster,” she said after her semifinal. “But so is Kipyegon.”
When asked if he expected the final to be ultra-fast, he replied: “It depends if someone pulls the gun on the tape. But regardless of how it goes, you have to be in 3.54/3.55 form to win the medal.”
Elsewhere on Sunday, Ethiopian Tamirat Tola won the men’s marathon in dominant fashion after kicking clear with five miles remaining to take gold in a championship record time of 2hrs 5mins 37s.
His compatriot Mosinet Geremew made the Ethiopian double for the second consecutive world championship with his second consecutive silver, although he was more than a minute behind, while the Somali-born Belgian Bashir Abdi was third.
Local favorite Galen Rupp was 19th and Britain’s Josh Griffiths 49th in 2:17:38.
Source: www.theguardian.com