Former UK Athletics performance director Neil Black, who defended Mo Farah's involvement with now-banned coach Alberto Salazar, has died at the age of 60, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Black left his role last year after US authorities handed down a four-year doping ban to Salazar, who ran the Nike-backed Oregon Project training group in Portland.
Salazar worked closely with British distance runner Farah, who won four Olympic gold medals on the track, two at London 2012 and two more at Rio four years later.
A British Athletics statement read: "British Athletics is shocked and saddened to confirm the loss of our friend and former colleague Neil Black, who passed away suddenly at the weekend.
"Neil loved the sport of athletics and dedicated his life to supporting athletes -- as a world-class physiotherapist, as head of sport science, and then in recent years as performance director for British Athletics."
Former Olympic heptathlon bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton, who worked with Black, tweeted: "He came everywhere with me and made sure I was held together physically and mentally. So many things I want to say... I'll miss you forever Neil Black."
Former sprinter Katharine Merry, who won bronze in the 400m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, tweeted: "The passing of Neil Black is truly a shock to the world of athletics."