• Athletics

Banned athlete investigated after Mo Farah training pictures

ESPN staff
March 4, 2015
Hamza Driouch competing at the 2012 London Olympics © Getty Images
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Banned long-distance runner Hamza Driouch is facing an investigation after posting pictures on Facebook which showed him training with Mo Farah in Ethiopia.

Driouch, 20, was suspended from athletics until December 2016 after the World Anti-Doping Agency found irregularities in his biological passport - WADA's method of testing for doping substances over long periods of time - and was banned from competing or taking part in any training camps.

Post by Hamza Driouch.

The 20-year-old's breach of the sanction is not expected to have any possible implications for British double Olympic and world champion Farah, who is not being investigated.

"From a common sense perspective, only Driouch and those closely connected to him would be aware of a sanction," IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said. "The problem raised here reflects directly on Driouch rather than Farah."

Farah's agent Ricky Simms said the British athlete was not in Ethiopia as part of a collective training camp.

"Mo was in Ethiopia by himself," said Simms. "He hired some local athletes to pace for him and he wasn't part of any other training group. It's not unusual for people to jump in."

Before his suspension, Driouch had won the 1500m at the World Junior Championships in 2012 and also competed at the London Olympic Games.

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