Dibaba coach Aden arrested in Spain on drug charges

Spanish police on Monday arrested Somali track coach Jama Aden, whose Ethiopian protégé Genzebe Dibaba is the current world 1500m champion, as part of an investigation into drug trafficking.

The dawn arrest came at a hotel in the Catalonian town of Sabadell occupied by a group of athletes coached by Aden, sources close to the investigation said.

Officials of the Spanish Anti-Doping Agency were also present to carry out doping controls on some athletes, sources added.

Aden is responsible for coaching 1500m world indoor record-holder Genzebe, Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman, and is the former coach of reigning men’s 1500m champion Taoufik Makhloufi.

In February, three of Aden’s athletes (Dibaba, Souleiman and Abdalelah Haroun) broke indoor world records in Stockholm in the mile,1k and 500m.

Dibaba went on to win the world indoor title in the 3000m, Souleiman finished a disappointing ninth in the 1500m and Haroun earned silver in the 400m.

Dibaba and Souleiman have yet to race this outdoor season.

Former Aden athlete and 2012 World Junior Champion (1500m) Hamza Driouch tested positive in 2012 before being served with a two year ban in 2014. Driouch once claimed he was doped by coach Aden, and then retracted his statement shortly after.

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Report by Sport 24