Search Weight Loss Topics:




Nov 10

The Latest in Mary Cains Allegations Against Nike and Salazar – Runner’s World

How to lose weight quickly Comments Off on The Latest in Mary Cains Allegations Against Nike and Salazar – Runner’s World

On November 7, in an opinion video and related article published by The New York Times, elite runner Mary Cain described how she was emotionally and physically abused during her time training with the Nike Oregon Project under Alberto Salazar.

Among Cains allegations: Nike had no certified sports psychologist or nutritionist, Salazar was constantly trying to get me to lose weight, to hit 114 pounds, and he would weigh her in front of her teammates to shame her. At a 2015 track meet, where she ran poorly, he yelled at her in front of many observers and accused her of gaining five pounds before the race.

Cain, now 23, said Salazar wanted to give her birth control pills and diuretics to lose weight. (Diuretics are banned under anti-doping code because they can be used to mask the presence of other prohibited substances.) She said she stopped menstruating for three years, a sign that her body didnt have enough estrogen to maintain her bone health. She said she broke five bones.

In the video, Cain said that she started to have suicidal thoughts and she began to cut herself. Even though she said people saw her cut herself, nobody did anything.

The video and accompanying article said Salazar disputed many of Cains allegations without going into detail.

After the video appeared in the Times, Nike released a statement that read, in part, that Cain had sought to rejoin the Oregon Project in April:

These are deeply troubling allegations which have not been raised by Mary or her parents before. Mary was seeking to rejoin the Oregon Project and Alberto's team as recently as April of this year and had not raised these concerns as part of that process. We take the allegations extremely seriously and will launch an immediate investigation to hear from former Oregon Project athletes. At Nike we seek to always put the athlete at the center of everything we do, and these allegations are completely inconsistent with our values.

In an email to Runners World with its statement, Nike did not offer any further information about the investigation it is conducting into Cains allegations. The company also did not respond when asked if Salazar is still a Nike employee.

A November 8 article in the Oregonian included specific statements from Salazar in which he denied shaming her about her weight. Salazars comments read, in part, Marys father is a medical doctor, and both of her parents were deeply involved in her training, competition and health throughout the period she was coached by me.

Salazar also released a friendly text message Cain sent to him in April that said, Im excited to be working together again.

Also on November 8, Cain responded to Nikes statement with a clarifying statement of her own to the Times. The statement read, in part, Last spring, I told Alberto I wanted to work with him againonly himbecause when we let people emotionally break us, we crave their approval more than anything.

I was the victim of an abusive system, an abusive man. I was constantly tormented by the conflict of wanting to be free from him and wanting to go back to the way things used to be, when I was his favorite.

In the days since the video appeared, runners and coaches in elite running have taken to social media to support Cain and corroborate her accounts. Jonathan Marcus wrote on Twitter he was the director at the meet when Salazar was yelled at for gaining weight.

Amy Yoder Begley wrote on Twitter: After placing 6th in the 10,000m at the 2011 USATF championships, I was kicked out of the Oregon Project. I was told I was too fat and had the biggest butt on the starting line. This brings those painful memories back.

Cam Levins, a Canadian marathoner who was a teammate of Cains, wrote on Twitter: I knew that our coaching staff was obsessed with your weight loss, emphasizing it as if it were the single thing standing in the way of great performances. I knew because they spoke of it openly among other athletes.

Salazar, who is based in Portland, Oregon, started advising Cain in October 2012, when she was still in high school in Bronxville, New York. Under Salazars guidance, Cain made the U.S. team for the 2013 world championships in Moscow. She advanced to the 1500-meter final and finished ninth, becoming, at 17, the youngest person ever to make a world final in the 1500. In 2014, she won the 3,000 meters at the world junior championships. During this time, she set U.S. junior records in the two mile, the mile, the 1500 meters, and the 1,000 meters. Her mile record was 4:24.11

Cain forewent her collegiate eligibility and moved to Portland for 10 months from August 2014 until May 2015, and during that time, her performances suffered. She then returned home to New York but remained a member of the Nike Oregon Project. In 2016, she made the 1500-meter final at the U.S. Olympic Trials, but she was 11th in the final. Only the top 3 finishers made Team USA for the Games in Rio.

Cains allegations are the latest in a string of bad news for Salazar. On September 30, arbitrators suspended him from the sport for four years for violating the anti-doping code. Salazar has maintained his innocence and said he will appeal. On October 11, Nike announced it was shutting down the Oregon Project.

Cain said in her most recent statement to the Times that after the doping report dropped that led to his suspension, I felt this quick and sudden release. That helped me understand that this system is not O.K. Thats why I decided to speak up now.

See the original post:
The Latest in Mary Cains Allegations Against Nike and Salazar - Runner's World

Related Posts

    Your Full Name

    Your Email

    Your Phone Number

    Select your age (30+ only)

    Select Your US State

    Program Choice

    Confirm over 30 years old

    Yes

    Confirm that you resident in USA

    Yes

    This is a Serious Inquiry

    Yes

    Message:



    matomo tracker