A former sprinter and coach who won two gold medals has reportedly gone missing on holiday and not been in contact with friends or colleagues for around two months
A British athletics legend has reportedly gone missing abroad on holiday after failing to make contact with friends or colleagues for two months.
Ex-sprinter Leon Baptiste, 41, , who clinched two gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, is believed to have travelled to Morocco for what was thought to be a stag do or golfing holiday. However, the trip was only intended to span a weekend – and he has reportedly not been in touch since.
Attempts to reach Baptiste via text and calls have reportedly been unsuccessful, triggering worries about his wellbeing. Alarm bells were first rung by a former team-mate on August 14.
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Baptiste boasts an illustrious sprinting career, winning two gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. He triumphed in the 200m race and also secured gold as part of England’s 4x100m relay squad.
Currently, Baptiste serves as a coach to several top-tier athletes, including Charlie Dobson, who nabbed bronze in the 4x400m relay at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Dobson recently fell short of progressing beyond the 400m semi-finals at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
However, Baptiste’s absence was conspicuous, with friends and colleagues reportedly having had no communication with him since his Moroccan holiday approximately two months ago.
A former team-mate confided to the Guardian: “No one knows what has happened. It is very worrying.”
Baptiste made a splash in the athletics world as a youngster, clinching 100m gold for Great Britain at the 2003 European Junior Championships in Finland when he was just 18. He also claimed victory as part of the 4x100m relay squad.
His triumphs led to him being crowned junior male athlete of the year by the British Athletics Writers’ Association. However, Baptiste was absent from the London 2012 Olympics due to surgery.
He hung up his spikes aged 28 in 2014 and transitioned into coaching.