"My doping is Jesus" - World record breaker responds to cheat taunts

10,000 metres Olympic gold medallist Almaz Ayana has defended herself from allegations of drug use by saying, "My doping is Jesus."

The Ethiopian athlete won an extraordinary 10,000 in a stunning world record time.

Ayana smashed a 23-year-old world record to win the greatest-ever women's 10,000 meters and was then immediately forced to defend herself in the face of doping allegations.

Ayana clocked 29 minutes 17.45 seconds, an incredible 14 seconds inside the 29:31.78 set by China's Wang Junxia in 1993.

No woman had gone under 30 minutes in the last seven years, but the first four all did on Friday, and the first 13 finishers ran the best time of their lives, including several national records.

Ayana had barely completed her victory lap before the questions started, and in her news conference she denied using performance-enhancing drugs.

"My doping is my training, my doping is Jesus. I am crystal clear," she said through an interpreter.

Additional reporting by Reuters.

News
Bangor Cathedral spending frozen after debt concerns 
Bangor Cathedral spending frozen after debt concerns 

Spending at Bangor Cathedral has been halted after whistleblowers raised concerns about debt and how money is being spent. 

How American Gospel teams helped to revive British evangelicalism
How American Gospel teams helped to revive British evangelicalism

From the war and into the 1960s, Gospel teams formed by American servicemen on military bases helped revive many local British churches. This is the story …

Trussell Trust urges urgent policy change as food bank use hits record high
Trussell Trust urges urgent policy change as food bank use hits record high

Food bank use in the UK has soared by more than 50 per cent over the past five years, raising fresh concerns over the effectiveness of Universal Credit and wider welfare reforms in addressing the growing poverty crisis. 

Franklin Graham wraps up European evangelism congress with call to be unashamed of the Gospel
Franklin Graham wraps up European evangelism congress with call to be unashamed of the Gospel

Europe needs an "army" of "unafraid" and "unashamed" evangelists to reach it with the Gospel, Christian leaders heard this week.