Alberto Salazar: 'Angry' Sifan Hassan says 'I am clean' after 1500m World Championships win

An emotional Sifan Hassan defended herself after winning 1500m World Championship gold, saying she is a clean athlete despite her coach being banned for doping violations.

Alberto Salazar, who has been Hassan's coach since 2016, was given a four-year ban earlier this week.

The Dutchwoman previously won the 10,000m title in Doha and set a championship record to win the 1500m.

"This was a very hard week for me and I was just so angry," Hassan, 26, said.

Salazar, who runs the Nike Oregon Project, has denied any wrongdoing.

• Hassan takes 1500m with GB's Muir fifth - report & analysis

• The inside story of Salazar's downfall

"I've been clean all my life. I work hard," Hassan told BBC Sport after her 1500m victory.

"I couldn't talk to anyone. I just ran all out.

"I just want to show people that hard work can be better than everything."

The decision to ban Salazar followed a four-year investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) and a two-year court battle.

American Salazar, who coaches several athletes at the World Championships in Doha but has had his accreditation revoked, said he was "shocked" by the outcome and would appeal.

'I am & will always be clean'

Sifan Hassan broke the World Championships record with her time of three minutes 51.95 in Doha

Hassan became the first athlete of either gender to win both the 1500m and 10,000m at a world championships.

Her time of three minutes 51.95 seconds in Doha was the sixth-fastest in the 1500m in history.

She is the mile world record holder and won 5,000m European gold in 2018, and said she would welcome any investigation into her performances.

"The door is open. If they're going to test me every day, I'm open for it," she said.

"How do people think we are cheating? They think I don't get tested? I get tested every time.

"We are always clean. We always stay clean. We work hard."

Hassan added she would make a decision on her future with the Nike Oregon Project now her championships had finished.

"I did my best here to show the world that I'm clean, I'm always clean, I will be clean," Hassan said.

"Since 2014 I've been a top athlete and suddenly I get a hard time at this championships."

'Fans are sick and tired of cheating' - analysis

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson:

People have the right to say what they want to say. People and fans of this sport are so sick and tired of drugs cheats.

They have zero tolerance at this point so if you are associated with a coach who is banned, you missed your whereabouts filings, test positive, or have any connection with anything to do with doping, they are done with you and that's just the way it is. Athletes need to understand that.

If you are clean and want to prove that, you are not going to get that done by being angry.

Running fast if you are under a doping cloud does not actually make you clean. It doesn't prove that to people.

You have to come clean over what you have been doing and say "I'll hold up my hand and be tested" and say "I understand why people are making these accusations".

What was Salazar found guilty of?

Alberto Salazar was been banned from athletics for four years after being found guilty of doping violations

Salazar, a former coach of Britain's four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah, was the subject of a four-year investigation by the US Anti-Doping Agency.

An independent panel found Salazar and Dr Jeffrey Brown, a Nike-paid endocrinologist, possessed and trafficked a banned performance-enhancing substance

The panel also found they administered or attempted to administer a prohibited method to multiple track and field athletes.

It added that Salazar "tampered and/or attempted to tamper with the doping control process".

Brown was also given a four year ban.

Farah split with Salazar in 2017. The Briton has never failed a drugs test and has always strongly denied breaking any rules.

• Salazar banned for doping violations