A renowned US sprint coach who is under investigation for sexual misconduct has been cautioned by police in Eugene after gaining unauthorised access to the athlete warm-up area before the world 100m final on Saturday night.
Rana Reider, coach of the British 200m star Adam Gemili, had successfully managed to gain access to Hayward Field in an attempt to help four of his sprinters in the men’s 100m, including the eventual silver and bronze medallists Marvin Bracy and Trayvon Bromell – despite having his accreditation blocked by World Athletics due to the allegations against him.
However, Reider was spotted by others who called security. When he refused to leave, police then intervened and apprehended the American. They also advised him that if he returned he would be arrested for trespassing. When the Guardian notified World Athletics it then confirmed the story.
“Event security discovered a unaccredited person in the athlete warm‑up area,” World Athletics said. “He was asked to leave, and he refused. Police were immediately notified and went to remove him from the venue. When he observed police officers approaching him, he left the venue. Outside the venue, he was stopped by police and advised that if he returned to the venue he would be arrested for trespassing.”
Reider had earned a glittering reputation in the sport after guiding several Olympic and world champions to glory, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic 200m gold medallist Andre De Grasse, from his Florida‑based Tumbleweed Track Club.
However, as the Guardian revealed last year, the American’s behaviour off the track is now being scrutinised by the US Centre for SafeSport organisation, a powerful and independent body that handles investigations and complaints into abuse and misconduct in Olympic sports.
After the story broke, UK Athletics warned Gemili to cease contact with the coach – or else his membership into the World Class Programme, including lottery funding, would be suspended. However, he has continued to stand by his coach.
Reider denies any wrongdoing in the SafeSport investigation through his lawyer, Ryan Stevens, who says the allegations against his client are “unvetted” and “unproven”.
On Sunday the Guardian approached Reider, who was coaching an athlete from outside the perimeter fence of the official warm-up area. “Get the fuck away from me, man,” he said, before admitting he had been in the official area with accreditation on Saturday night.
He was then read the World Athletics statement and asked for a comment. Reider then claimed not to speak English, conversing instead in Spanish.
Gemili gets his 200m campaign under way on Monday afternoon local time, but most British eyes will be more focused on Laura Muir in the 1500m final that evening.
The hugely likeable 29-year-old won an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo last year and says she is “chilled” and ready to strike for another medal.
But while Muir looks a strong bet for a podium place, she knows that Ethiopia’s Guduf Tsegay and Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon will be tough to beat. “I am getting faster,” she said after her semi-final. “But so is Kipyegon.”
Asked whether she expected the final to be ultra quick, she replied: “It depends if someone takes it out gun to tape. But regardless how it goes you have to be in 3.54/3.55 shape to medal.”
Elsewhere on Sunday, Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola won the men’s marathon in dominant fashion after kicking clear with five miles remaining to take gold in a championship record 2hr 5 min 37sec.
His compatriot Mosinet Geremew made it an Ethiopian one-two for the second world championship in a row with his second successive silver, although he was more than a minute back, while Belgium’s Somalia-born Bashir Abdi was third.
The local favourite Galen Rupp was 19th and Britain’s Josh Griffiths 49th in 2:17:38.
