Performance-enhancing substance was procured from Switzerland for athlete Mo Farah

Mo Farah is no stranger to Switzerland with multiple training camps in St Moritz behind him. © Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott

A documentary by the BBC has revealed that the performance-enhancing supplement L-carnitine was obtained in Switzerland for British Olympic and world champion runner Sir Mohamed Farah.

The BBC reportExternal link claims that the legal supplement, which was administered by infusion to Farah days before the London Marathon in 2014, was sourced by coach Alberto Salazar in Switzerland. The British public broadcaster alleges that, at Salazar’s bidding, UK Athletics official Barry Fudge flew to Zurich and collected L-carnitine vials from the firm SpagyrosExternal link in Worb, near the capital, Bern. However, Spagyros only manufactures herbal medicines and it is likely that the L-carnitine was sourced elsewhere in Switzerland. The drug cannot be purchased without a medical prescription.  

“L-carnitine may indeed be a food supplement, but not when it is injected. In the latter case it is classified as a medicinal product,” Danila Feldmann, spokeswoman for Switzerland’s medicine regulator Swissmedic told swissinfo.ch on Friday. According to BBC journalist Mark Daly, it was Swiss athlete Christoph Ryffel who handed the L-carnitine to Fudge at the Spagyros building. 

Ryffel’s mother, Jacqueline Ryffel, is the CEO of Spagyros. The Ryffels dispute the accuracy of the BBC report. They also deny any wrongdoing and emphasise that the supplement was not illegal.

Grafting starts here in St Moritz…!!! Yeeeeeezzzzzzzz!!! #onemomileExternal link pic.twitter.com/AzvLd0WYhkExternal link

— Sir Mo Farah (@Mo_Farah) July 24, 2018External link

The American Alberto Salazar, who was banned from athletics for four years in 2019, had experimented with L-carnitine, which helps to convert fat to energy, on other athletes. Although it is not a banned drug, the Lausanne-based World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has said it is aware of the potential for abuse. At the time (and until 2018) the infusion limit was 50ml within a six-hour period (this was later updated to 100ml within a twelve-hour period). 

The BBC reveals that, after initially denying it, Farah admitted to being given an infusion of 13.5ml a week before the London Marathon in April 2014. The doctor who administered the infusion claimed to have forgotten to enter the information in the medical records. 

*The article has been edited to include a response from the Ryffels and Swissmedic which was received after the story was published. 

This story was last updated on April 3.