Renowned coach Rana Reider to be probed for alleged sexual misconduct: Report

The US Center for SafeSport will examine one of the world's top track and field instructors after accusations of sexual misconduct were made against him, the Guardian has reported.

Reider has a gleaming image in the sport after coaching multiple Olympic and world champions to victory, including Olympic 200m gold medalist Andre de Grasse and world triple jump champion Christian Taylor.

From his Florida-based Tumbleweed Track Club, he also coacheda number of other elite athletes, including Britain's Adam Gemili and Daryll Neita.

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The 51-year-old American's behaviour off the track, on the other hand, will be investigated by the US Center for SafeSport, a strong and independent agency that handles investigations and complaints into abuse and misconduct in Olympic sports.

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The Guardian has also gathered that, as a result of the claims against Reider, UK Athletics (UKA) has issued a warning to Gemili and Neita to stop communicating with their coach – or else their participation in the World Class Programme, including lottery funding, will be cancelled. A similar communication was sent to other British athletes who were considering going to the United States to train with Reider.

Reider denied awareness of the SafeSport inquiry and stated he had not been informed of UK Athletics' directive to Gemili and Neita when contacted by the Guardian on Tuesday. "You can call my lawyer because this is news to me," he explained.

Ryan Stevens, Reider's lawyer, stated that the charges against his client were "unvetted" and "unproven."

"SafeSport hasn’t issued a notice of allegations to Rana,"he told the Guardian."The suspicious timing and motives attached to these unproven attacks on Rana’s reputation need to be fully investigated and vetted, and they haven’t been."

UKA told the Guardian: "As part of UK Athletics’ commitment to ensuring appropriate conduct is consistent across all areas without any exceptions, we completed additional due diligence where issues have been raised about the support personnel of UK athletes.

"Following information from the US Center for SafeSport that multiple complaints of sexual misconduct have been made against coach Rana Reider and that an investigation in the US is imminent, UK Athletics has informed UK athletes currently being coached by him to cease all association until the conclusion of this process.”

Gemili, the first British man to run a 100m in under 10 seconds and a 200m in under 20 seconds, has been working with Reider since 2017. Since then, the popular 28-year-old has led Britain's relay team to world championship gold and silver medals in the 4x100m relay in 2017 and 2019. Neita, 25, had a breakout year in 2021, racing under 11 seconds for the first time in 100m, reaching the Olympic final, and won bronze in the 4x100m relay in Tokyo.

According to website of the US Center for SafeSport is "dedicated solely to ending sexual, physical, and emotional abuse on behalf of athletes everywhere" and is "authorised by Congress to help abuse prevention, education, and accountability take root in every sport, on every court."

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Alberto Salazar, the coach, was banned indefinitely by the centre in July for sexual misconduct and emotional misconduct offences.

Reider, a remarkable technical sprint coach, joined UKA after London 2012, having a long collegiate career in the United States, to initially handle the sprints, sprint hurdles, horizontal jumps, and relay programmes. Before departing in 2014, he worked with a group of athletes that includes Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Dwain Chambers, and Richard Kilty.

Following his departure from UKA, he criticised several British athletes, stating, “Maybe they get comfortable. Maybe they get the funding. Maybe they’re big fish in a small pond and that’s the way they like it.”

(With inputs from agencies)