Britons spoken to in doping probe

UK ANTI-DOPING chiefs have been assisting a drugs probe into one of the world’s most prominent athletics coaches who has in the past been associated with Mo Farah and other British athletes. Jama Aden was arrested in Spain earlier this year following a three-year investigation which The

Mail On Sunday had worked on with the IAAF, athletics’ world governing body. The Mail On Sunday understands that two British athletes were interviewed by antidoping investigators for the IAAF, although it is understood Farah is not one of them. They are not believed to be under suspicion but could have important information about the methods Aden uses in training. One of his former athletes, the American David Torrence, said he encouraged him to take injections of what he called ‘vitamins’, but Torrence refused.

The blood boosting drug EPO, other unnamed medicines and unlabelled products were turned up during a raid on a hotel in Sabadell where Aden was staying with his stable of athletes.

British Athletics had used Aden as an ‘unofficial facilitator’ for a Farah training camp in 2015. But Farah’s camp quickly distanced him from Aden, despite the pair having been pictured at various locations.

Aden, who denies any wrongdoing, still faces the prospect of criminal charges as the result of the Spanish police probe and could be issued with an anti-doping rule violation. But the IAAF investigation is slightly hamstrung until the police inquiry concludes and they can have full access to police files.

Meanwhile, many of Britain’s medal winners from Rio 2016 will take part in a parade through Manchester tomorrow, with Jessica Ennis-Hill making her first public appearance since announcing her retirement.

But Britain’s most decorated Olympian Bradley Wiggins, who is at the centre of a doping storm, will stay away from the event. He is under pressure to further explain his use of therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) to take banned drugs.