Mary Cain sues Salazar, Nike, citing abuse - reports

Middle-distance runner Mary Cain sues Alberto Salazar and Nike for USD 20 million, alleging years of abuse by the Salazar while training at Nike's athletics programme.

American middle-distance runner, Mary Cain. - AP

Middle-distance runner Mary Cain has sued Alberto Salazar and Nike for USD 20 million, alleging years of abuse by the coach while training at the company's now-shuttered athletics programme, according to  The Oregonian  and other media.

Cain joined Salazar in 2013 at the Nike Oregon Project as a teenage prodigy but told the  New York Times  in 2019 she was pushed to achieve an unhealthy weight in an abusive environment that derailed her career and led her to have suicidal thoughts.

The Oregonian  reported that Cain, now 25, filed her lawsuit in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Monday, claiming that 

Nike  was aware of the abuse she detailed and did not intervene.

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In a statement,  Nike  said it did not comment on ongoing litigation.

" Nike  is committed to positively affecting the future of sport for women and girls and we are doing more in this space than ever before," the statement said.

Cain's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Attempts by  The Oregonian  and  Reuters  to contact Salazar were unsuccessful. He has previously denied allegations of abuse.

Nike  shut down its Nike Oregon Project in 2019 after Salazar was banned for four years by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after he was found guilty of possessing testosterone and tampering with the doping control process.

Salazar, who won three consecutive New York City Marathons from 1980 and has since has coached some of the world's top long-distance runners, had his suspension upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in September.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport barred the coach permanently from track and field in July, citing sexual and emotional misconduct.