Laura Muir renounces the right to anonymity against the trainer prohibited for poor behavior; Andy Young, who led to Muir until 2023, is prohibited from athletics for three years; Muir won the money at 1500m at the Tokyo Olympic Games
By Geraint Hughes
Last update: 30/09/25 14:16
Laura Muir of Great Britain renounced her right to anonymity after the ban on her former coach for serious misconduct
The 1500m Olympic silver medalist, Laura Muir, has given up her right to anonymity concerning a case involving a former coach who has been banned for three years for bad behavior.
Andy Young, a former muir coach, was prohibited from athletics for three years after being found guilty of grave misconduct.
UK Athletics (UKA) announced that a disciplinary panel had found Young – who was Muir’s coach when she won 1,500 Olympic meters in Tokyo in 2021 – guilty of nine accusations that he had faced, including seven bass.
The written decision of the October 2024 committee was on appeal, with a appeal committee confirming the conclusions of the original panel in August, but varying the initial sanction from five years to three years, rear to April 2023.
Muir was trained by Young for 12 years before separating in 2023, Muir leaving a training camp in South Africa due to disagreements between the pair and other group athletes.
Seven of the 39 original accusations were serious
In September 2024, Uka considered 39 accusations against Young and found nine proven with seven of them serious.
That the UKA panel concluded that Young had, on several occasions, placed the performance above the well-being of athletes, ignored by medical advice and used a manipulative and coercive behavior towards those he has trained. In its decision, the panel described its actions as “a conduct exerted sufficient pressure to vitiate free crafts”.
Examples included obliging an athlete to compete with the clear advice of a physiotherapist, threatening to exclude athletes from training or races if they did not comply with his requests and emotionally undergoing those who raised concerns about injuries.
Another accusation highlighted an incident in which Young, after a disagreement, led at high speed with an athlete in his car before abandoning them by the side of the road, without taking their safety and well-being into account.
The UKA panel suspended the Young coach license for five years (rear until 2023), concluding that he “had placed the well-being and security of the athlete over performance development”.
The appeal saw the initial sanctions reduced
Young appealed this decision and, in August this year, an independent appeal committee concluded a slightly lower vision of the gravity of misconduct overall, but rejected the allegations of biases, legal error and injustice. He confirmed the all -round conclusions in its entirety, suitable for the UKA panel that seven violations were serious.
The independent call committee reduced the suspension of Young from five to three (still rear at 2023) and it will have to follow a “specific rehabilitation training” before any return to training.
Muir separated from coach Andy Young in 2023
Muir supports decisions and focused on the future
Following the conclusion of the conclusions of the panels, Muir said: “I chose to give up my anonymity and confirm my involvement in this case. I fully support the decisions taken by the two independent panels and I am recognizing that the process was followed so in -depth.
“I would like to thank those who manifested themselves and those who contributed to the process – it was not easy, but it was necessary.
“Athletics has always been my passion, and I am happy to say that I rediscovered the love of my sport and the pleasure of training and working in a favorable and positive training environment. I now focus on the future, looking forward to the next years of my career, and putting this difficult chapter firmly behind me.”
“ No level of success can justify behaviors ”
Jack Buckner, the director general of the UKA, added; “This was a difficult case that gives to think for all the people involved in athletics.
“There is no level of success on the track which can never justify behaviors that are not so far from the required standards of a UKA licensee. This case emphasizes that performance and medals can never be done at the expense of the well-being of athletes.
“A significant change in culture has already taken place within the UKA. The emphasis on well-being and respect was more taken from the management of Paula Dunn and the performance team. We have strengthened report systems, extended social support and ensured independent expertise and support is available when concerns are raised.
“We are grateful to athletes who have shown courage to manifest themselves – their actions have assured that unacceptable conduct has been exposed and discussed.
“For the future, we are determined to continue to rely on this progress. We are in active dialogue with the coaches and have launched a new group of coaches, clearly indicating that we want to support and celebrate the best coaches – those who succeed in the right way, with the well -being of athletes at the center of their practice. This is how our sport will prosper in the future.”
