British sprinters' training was wrecked when coach went 'missing' in Morocco... only to later turn up in jail for sexually assaulting a minor

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 06:30 EDT, 20 August 2026 | Updated: 06:34 EDT, 20 August 2026 British sprinters - including an Olympic bronze medallist and Paralympic silver medallist - had their training interrupted ahead of the Commonwealth Games after their coach ended up in a Moroccan prison.Gold-medal-winning sprinter and coach Leon Baptiste mysteriously vanished two months ago following a trip to Morocco. However, it has since emerged that the coach, who was training top athletes ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games, had been arrested in Marrakech in May and was being held at the notorious Al-Oudaya prison for sexually assaulting a minor. UK Athletics, where he worked as a consultant sprinting coach, did not know why Baptiste was out of contact - nor did those he worked with. The coach, who was training top athletes ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games, told a group of them that he would be absent 'for a while', the BBC reported.A brief email, sent on behalf of the sprinter, who won the 200m at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, was sent on Tuesday.In the correspondence to the athletes he coached, it was announced that Baptiste had resigned, laying blame on unspecified ill health.His sudden absence left some British sprinters, including Olympic bronze medallist Charlie Dobson and Paralympic silver medallist Zac Shaw, without a designated coach before the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the European Championships in Birmingham. Athlete and coach Leon Baptiste (pictured in 2023) has been imprisoned in Morocco Baptiste is being held at the notorious Al-Oudaya prison in MarrakechHis abrupt departure heavily disrupted the athletes' training during an important period of their careers, leaving them badly prepared and frustrated, BBC Sports reports. According to a source in the Moroccan Ministry of Justice, Baptiste has been convicted, and the source added that the reports of him being missing were 'inaccurate.'The source added that the former athlete was 'not subject to any disappearance or unexplained absence' and was in good health.'He is currently being held at the local prison in Marrakech, where he is serving a custodial sentence following his conviction by the competent judicial authorities in connection with a misdemeanour case,' they said.Morocco's Public Prosecution Office confirmed his sentencing as well as the crime for which he was convicted to the BBC. A spokesman said a British national is serving a prison sentence in a local Marrakech prison after a court judgment against him.Baptiste is being held in the notorious Al-Oudaya prison. Former inmates and human rights groups have denounced the facility's severe overcrowding, poor sanitation and abuse of prisoners; however, Al-Oudaya's administration has denied the claims.His sudden absence left some British sprinters, including Olympic bronze medallist Charlie Dobson and Paralympic silver medallist Zac Shaw, without a designated coach before the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Pictured: Baptise celebrates his win in the 200m final of the Track and Field competition of the XIX Commonwealth Games on October 10, 2010 in New DelhiBaptiste had been in the North African country alongside three other ex-British athletes, all of whom have returned to British soil, a source said.It is understood the athlete's family are aware of Baptiste's custodial sentence.A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: 'We are supporting a British national who is detained in Morocco and are in contact with the authorities.'The Daily Mail has approached UK Athletics for comment.