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Alberto Salazar, Coach of the Nike Oregon Project, Gets 4-Year Doping Ban

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Alberto Salazar, a coach of some of the world’s top distance runners, has been barred for four years from the sport for doping violations, the United States Anti-Doping Agency announced Monday night.

The penalty stemmed from violations that included trafficking in testosterone, tampering with the doping control process and administering improper infusions of L-carnitine, a naturally occurring substance that converts fat into energy, the anti-doping agency said in a statement.

The ban was the result of an investigation that began in 2015. Salazar was notified in 2017 that he had violated doping rules, but he contested the findings by USADA, according to an anti-doping official familiar with the case who spoke on the condition of anonymity.