Jon Gault spoke with Jama Aden today at Carlsbad about Hamza Driouch training with him in Ethiopia after his drug ban had started. It's in our Carlsbad recap:
but I'm posting it here as well.
Quick Take #2: Jama Aden said that he was not aware drug cheat Hamza Driouch was supposed to be serving a suspension when he participated in a training camp under Aden in Ethiopia that also featured Mo Farah
The 20-year-old Driouch trained under Aden in Ethiopia in January and February even though he was supposed to start serving a doping ban for irregularities in his biological passport which would have prevented him from participating in any training camps. I caught up with Aden and asked him what he was doing with Driouch.
"We didn't know anything about it,": Aden said. "I found out after Stockholm (where Dibaba set the world indoor record on February 19) and someone told me he’d been banned."
Aden used to coach Driouch (he won World Junior gold at 1500 under him in 2012) before he switched coaches to Abdelkader Kada, who Aden said coached Driouch for the past two years. Aden was supervising Driouch’s training again this winter.
I asked why Driouch would participate in a training camp while he was supposed to be serving a drug suspension, and Aden’s answer surprised me greatly.
"I don't think he knows about it," Aden said. Aden's explanation was that the Driouch did not know he was under suspension while he was training with him this winter.
What is very clear is that someone screwed up in this situation. Either Aden/Driouch is lying and one or both knew about the suspension, or the IAAF (or the Qatari federation) made a big mistake by not informing Driouch that he was suspended. Either way, it's a problem.
As for the question Nick Willis posed when the news broke last month — who supplied the 20-year-old Driouch with drugs — Aden didn't have an answer.
"I have no idea to be honest with you," he said.