Mo Farah risks IAAF questions after appearing in Ethiopian training camp with banned drugs cheat Hamza Driouch
Farah has been pictured running with the banned long-distance runner
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Your support makes all the difference.Mo Farah could face questions from the IAAF after appearing in pictures taken during a recent training camp in Ethiopia with shamed drug cheat Hamza Driouch.
Farah was taking part in a seven-week training camp at the start of the year before he returned to competitive action in Birmingham last weekend, breaking the indoor two-mile world record in the process. However, in updating his fans with regular posts and photographs from the camp, he revealed that one of those with him in Africa was Driouch, who is currently serving a two-year ban from competition.
The IAAF announced this week that Driouch had started his ban on 31 December 2014 due to irregularities in his biological passport, and their rules clearly state the banned athletes are prevented from “participating in any capacity…in a training camp, exhibition or practice”.
Farah’s agent Ricky Simms claimed that Farah was not part of a training camp and was in Ethiopia to train alone.
“Mo was in Ethiopia by himself,” Simms told the Daily Telegraph. “He hired some local athletes to pace for him during his workouts and he wasn’t part of any other training group. It’s not unusual for people to jump in.”
Farah also appeared in pictures posted on Driouch’s Facebook and Instagram page where the two were seen eating and travelling together as part of a larger group.
There is no suggestion that Farah has been part of any doping scandal or has been compliant if Driouch has broken the IAAF’s rules.
Speaking after he completed the seven-week training camp, Farah said: “Training has gone well. It’s just this time of year where Portland is really cold and here [Britain] is pretty cold, and you just want to try to get a block of training together. It’s something I’ve always done somewhere. This time I went to Ethiopia and it was really good.”
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