Leon Baptiste, a former British sprinter who secured two gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, has been missing for two months following a trip to Morocco. Baptiste, 41, traveled to Morocco with friends for what is believed to have been a stag or golfing trip and has not contacted anyone back home since his departure.
Baptiste, who also won gold at the 2003 European Junior Championships and was named junior male athlete of the year, has been unreachable via phone and text. A former teammate raised the alarm on August 14 after growing concerned by the lack of contact. A teammate described Baptiste as a "very calm and sensible chap," adding that his disappearance is "very worrying."
Baptiste had a successful sprinting career, winning the 200m and a 4x100m relay gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. He also won the 100m and 4x100m relay gold at the 2003 European Junior Championships.
After retiring from competitive athletics at age 28 in 2014, Baptiste transitioned into coaching. He is currently employed by UK Athletics as a consultant in Loughborough and has coached elite athletes, including Paris Olympic 4x400m relay bronze medalist Charlie Dobson. Dobson has reportedly struggled with injuries since Baptiste's disappearance and did not advance past the semi-finals of the 400m at the European Championship last week.
Baptiste's career was impacted by knee surgery, which led him to miss the 2012 London Olympics and ultimately retire before the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. UK Athletics has declined to comment on his disappearance.