Olympic hero Mo Farah breaks silence on cheating accusations that made him 'depressed'

Farah talks to Sunday Mirror reporter Patrick Hill [COURTESY]

Mo Farah looked a ­Sunday Mirror reporter in the eye and told him: “I can sleep at night knowing I have done nothing wrong.”

In an astonishing interview at his Ethiopian training camp, the Olympic legend spoke out about suggestions that he had lied about being given performance-enhancing injections.

Sir Mo, 36, told us that he had been left depressed by accusations over his association with shamed coach Alberto Salazar, 61 – banned from the sport for four years for anti-doping breaches.

The British track star admitted he “was human and makes mistakes” – but repeatedly denied being a cheat.

He said: “It’s not fair on my kids and my family. It’s just not right. It’s depressing. Mentally and physically it’s had an effect on me.

“It has made me question if I’m a bad person. Is it against me? Is it because of my colour? It makes you question everything and that’s annoying and damaging.

“I love representing my country, making my country proud and doing what I do best because it’s a gift and that’s why I do it with a smile. But it’s not fair what comes with it.

“I don’t want people to feel sorry for me, but I’ve always done the right thing.”

Mo, who has four Olympic golds at 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres, has repeatedly denied breaking rules.

Britain's Mo Farah celebrates winning the 5000m final in Rio [COURTESY]

The latest claims relate to a probe by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in which Mo denied having L-carnitine jabs before the 2014 London Marathon – only to change his story. He also failed to declare the substance on a doping control form just eight days later. US officials then quizzed Mo in 2015.

In our exclusive interview in Sululta, close to the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, the star claimed he had “completely forgotten” having L-carnitine.

He explained that at the time of being quizzed he mistakenly thought he had only been given magnesium injections.

Mo said: “I was 100 per cent convinced I hadn’t taken it (L-carnitine). In my mind, I hadn’t taken anything else apart from magnesium. I put magnesium on the doping control form. I can sleep at night knowing I’ve done nothing wrong.”

According to transcripts of the USADA quiz, Mo faced 10 key questions about L-carnitine – and whether Salazar had recommended them. He told investigators: “I’ve never taken L-carnitine injections at all.”

He was then asked: “You’re absolutely sure you didn’t have a doctor inject L-carnitine a few days before the London Marathon?” Mo replied: “No. No chance.”

But soon after the interview finished, Mo spoke with UK Athletics endurance coach Barry Fudge – then went back in to see investigators and said he DID have L-carnitine. The transcripts featured in a BBC Panorama probe last week – heaping fresh pressure on Mo.

He told the Sunday Mirror: “I was questioned for five hours. I said one thing and then other things got said and now it’s made out like I’ve done wrong, but if you know how it happened then it’s easier to understand. When I came out I said to Barry, ‘Hey mate, they kept asking me about this supplement. What’s that?’ He said, ‘Yeah, it’s this, you did take it’, so I went straight back in and told them.

“I forgot, but as soon as I was told I ran back in. If I was a liar, why would I go straight back in? I said, ‘Look, I genuinely forgot, I didn’t know that. Now I do’.”

Mo fears the public now believes he is hiding evidence and says the suspicions have affected him, his wife Tania and their four kids. He vowed to speak to MPs from the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee if required.

L-carnitine is not a banned substance in athletics if taken below a certain dosage.

The batch given to Mo had been collected from Switzerland by Dr Fudge and was injected by Dr Robin Chakraverty, UK Athletics chief medical officer at the time. Dr Chakraverty has said he injected a total of 13.5ml – well under the 50ml limit.

But no record was made of the amount given. Mo told us: “He made a massive mistake and that reflects on me which is disappointing. But at the same time, he’s one of the best doctors out there. I’m not blaming anyone else.

“At the end of the day, I have to take full responsibility for what goes in my body, which I do. But you rely on your team, you rely on your coach and the doctors. They say ‘try this’ and to take as much work away from you as they can – and you rely on that.”

Of L-carnitine specifically, Mo said: “I only took it as an injection on one occasion. I’d tried it as a drink leading up to it since 2011. Anyone can buy it, it’s like an energy drink. You can buy it in Tesco. It’s an amino acid, which is a normal supplement.

“It’s not fair USADA are giving my private information out. How does my stuff get leaked? It’s not fair, it’s like it’s one rule for one and another rule for others. I totally understand there are questions because of my links to Alberto Salazar.

"But I never saw any wrongdoing. Sadly he crossed the line in what he was doing. I’m not responsible for him or his actions. Am I human? Yes. Do I make mistakes? Yes. But every one of us does. At the end of the day, it’s a legal supplement and everything I ever did went through UK Athletics to check it was OK.

“Panorama only tells half the story. They make out like I’m hiding something, but I’ve nothing to hide. I’ve been tested 100 times and I’m more than happy to go back through my tests. I will overcome this, continue to go out there and make people proud. I love what I do and no one can take that away.”

Dr Chakraverty told the Mirror: “I have not contravened rules and I have always acted in the best interests of those I treat.”

A BBC spokesperson said: “We stand by our journalism.”