Spanish Distance Runner Illias Fifa Arrested at Home in Doping Raid

By Adam Kopet

Sport24 reports Spanish distance runner Illias Fifa has been arrested in a doping raid Wednesday.

Fifa won the European Outdoor 5,000 meters in 2016 in Amsterdam. However, he has been unable to qualify for a global final in the past three years. He has a personal best of 13:05.61 in the 5,000 from 2015.

The 28-year old was arrested at his home in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, a suburb of Barcelona. Fifa came to Spain 11 years ago from Morocco. He has represented Spain since 2015.

Fifa's arrest was one of several made by Spanish authorities recently, according to the Catalan High Court of Justice.

In other doping news from Europe, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has upheld the IAAF's appeal over the suspension of French distance runner Riad Guerfi, according to a release from the IAAF's Athletics Integrity Unit.

Guerfi was provisionally suspended by the IAAF for an abnormal hematological profile from the IAAF’s Athlete Biological Passport Program in Oct. 2016. The French Athletics Federation went on to clear Guerfi of the charges, which led to the IAAF appeal.

Guerfi faces a four-year suspension which will end in 2020.