This is a podcast that I did last January 2020.
I wanted to put my thoughts on Alberto Salazar into a podcast, where I, out of the hysteria on both sides, considered the coach, athlete and man. I have known Alberto since the 1980s, when I met him at the NCAA district meet, where he battled Henry Rono. I observed him for years, then, began to chat with him on coaching. I was fascinated with his approach and his thirst for knowledge.
In my mind, Alberto Salazar got too close to the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. Yep, a biblical reference. Did he push his athletes? Most definitely. Some did well, and some did not.
I recall a day in April 2013, when a media group, organized by the IAAF (now World Athletics), spent a day with Alberto Salazar, Mo Farah, Galen Rupp, Matt Centrowitz and Cam Levins. It was fun, relaxed and fascinating.
Alberto Salazar, Eugene 2008, photo by Wikipedia
His approach pushed the envelope, and some have said, spent too much time in the gray area. USADA and WADA could not let this happen, but, Alberto Salazar could not coach without this approach.
The sad thing is that, his athletic career, his coaching career, have all been tarnished by the bans and accusations.
Special thanks to The Shoe Addicts, Mike Deering and our photographers for their kind assitance.
