Legendary Ethiopia long distance runner Haile Gebrselassie says the job of heading the Ethiopian Athletics Federation gave him high blood pressure.

After serving just more than two years of a four-year term, he resigned from the post earlier this month after some athletes expressed dissatisfaction with his leadership, and refused to shake hands at a medal ceremony.

“When I came to this positon, there were challenges that needed to be addressed. My motivation was to satisfy the athletes and respond to their questions. If I can’t do that why stay there?” he told BBC Africa Sport.

“I committed my knowledge, energy, time, and money for this purpose to the extent it caused me [high] blood pressure. There is none in our family with blood pressure,” he added.

Commenting on the doping scandals that have hit some East African athletes, he said:

Why should Ethiopian and Kenyan athletes use performance-enhancing drugs? We have God-given natural performance enhancing.

Why don’t we use that instead of using these dirty drugs? Look at the mountains, look at the air. This is the natural doping!”

Haile won two Olympic gold medals in Atlanta and Sydney, smashed records, and won many championships.

He retired from running in 2015.