Adam Gemili has split from Rana Reider after the intense media scrutiny surrounding his under-investigation American coach. The decision comes days before Gemili is due to run in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he is among the leading contenders in the 200m and as part of England’s 4x100m relay team.
It is understood that while the pair parted on good terms, the British sprinter had grown exasperated by the media focus on Reider, who is under investigation by the US Center for SafeSport over multiple sexual misconduct allegations.
Reider denies any wrongdoing through his lawyer, Ryan Stevens, who says the allegations against his client are “unvetted” and “unproven”.
A fortnight ago, Gemili said it had contributed to his failure to qualify in the 200m heats at the World Championships in Eugene. “There has been a lot of bad press around my set-up and me and it’s been relentless, every week there’s been something and it’s just taken its toll,” he said.
However, he maintained he would stay loyal to his coach until an investigation by the Center for SafeSport had concluded. That dynamic has now shifted, with Gemili deciding to leave the Tumbleweed Track Club in Florida, where Reider trains many of the world’s top sprinters, including the Olympic 200m champion, Andre De Grasse, and the world 100m silver and bronze medallists Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell.
Gemili’s decision comes after Reider has continued to make headlines off the track. In Eugene, he was denied accreditation by World Athletics and was then cautioned by police for gaining unauthorised access to the warm-up area. Last week, it was reported the Commonwealth Games had decided not to grant Reider an accreditation to coach in Birmingham.
Gemili had initially stuck by Reider after the Guardian revealed in November that he was being investigated by SafeSport, a decision that led to UK Athletics stripping him of his funding.
Asked last month why he had stayed with his American coach, Gemili said: “I’m in a sticky situation. Until there’s a verdict and I have the facts, I can’t make a decision. I won’t make any decisions until information has been relayed to me properly by the proper people.”
