Makhloufi 1:43.71 PB, he looks legit at Stockholm.

Yes, national programs never systematically dope.

Algerian's point of view wrote:

-His coach is also the Qatar national team's coach so it's very unlikely he will allow anything to ruin his reputation or the Qatari federation for that matter.

Haile Unlikely wrote:

As Makhdaddy pointed out in another thread, maybe he wanted to mess with the heads of the other runners, so when he went in the final they'd be more intimidated and discouraged. I don't have any idea what the f* he was doing, but if that was the idea, I think he can declare Mission Accomplished.

If it was really as easy as that, everyone would do it. Why doesn't Usain Bolt run an Olympic record in the first round "just to mess with people's heads"?

Anyone know why the LR headline story on Stockholm says Solomon ran "a great 800m"? 7th, 146.xx ?

you are f^%king sh&tng us right?

Do you thnk that these guys that dope just pop a pill in the warmup and then go and do their thing? Wait a minute you are just kidding, ok got you.

The same "hard training" Rashid Ramzi did when he came out of nowhere to win the 800/1500 double in Helsinki then eventually win Beijing.

Buts it's ok I know you are just on the wind-up, all good player...

Let me give YOU a point of view.

I ran professionally in Europe for 8 years in the middle distances - meets including Zurich, Berlin, Lausanne, Brussels etc I come from a country that has had more Olympic 1500m champions (on the mens side) so I too know a little about middle distance running

My time was the era of such Algerian middle distance runners as Kamel Boulahfane, Tarek Boukensa, Mohamed Khaldi, Djabi Said-Guerni and Nabil Madi just to name a few - I am sure as an Algerian you know these guys.

I can recall on at least three seperate occasions seeing the Algerian middle distance team at high profile meets in Europe, eating in the hotel, warming up the night before the meet only to mysteriously be absent from the starting line. It almost became a 'running' joke the kind of odd behaviour they showed. Still to this day I cant really find a logical explanation for this. Whatever the explanation is is irrelevant - if you want to know where the seeds of distrust start - its with rubbish like this. When handfulls upon handfulls of Morrocans slowly get caught as well (perhaps they are just not smart enough to pull out of races at the last moment like the Algerians are) it doesnt help your cause.

To argue that Mahkloufis coach is Sudanese is completely irrelevant. And? Rashid Ramzi was a Morrocan who ran for Bahrain.

Why do I bring up Ramzi? Because not before and not since that piece of sh%t has an athlete appeared out of nowhere (the only major championships prior to 2012 Mahkloufhi competed in were Berlin and Daegu where he recorded two 'stellar' performances of 3.37.8 and 3.50.8 - good enough for near last place finishes in the semi finals) and then turned it around to EASILY win the events pinnacle competition.

You may have had talents in the past that were legit such as Morceli (and who would ever honestly know now) - but if you objectively believe that nothing is out of the ordinary with your boy Taoufik then you are about as plausible and laughable as your meet-dodging crew of idiots I used to share bus rides with.

In eight years of racing in Europe, the best evidence you have is that Algerians no-showed for races? I guess I have to believe you now.

Can anyone find a video where he shower that sort of finishing speed before?

The rest of the field were running like donkeys at the Olympics though, look who finished 2nd

actually, the explanation is centrally relevant as your accusations that they were "up to something" are based solely on this "odd behavior".

Simon Ripsnitch wrote:

Whatever the explanation is is irrelevant

hahaha, yeah - many times - not only single athletes but multiple gusy entered in the same event from the same country. You are right - nothing weird about that- though I guess in your time on the circuit you would have seen similar "normal" stuff like this right?

What an a$$hole. Let me guess - you are one of the same guys that thought Rashid Ramzi was just an outstanding talent too - of course that was before he got done then you were also "disgusted". What a twit.

Simon Ripsnitch wrote:

Why do I bring up Ramzi? Because not before and not since that piece of sh%t has an athlete appeared out of nowhere (the only major championships prior to 2012 Mahkloufhi competed in were Berlin and Daegu where he recorded two 'stellar' performances of 3.37.8 and 3.50.8 - good enough for near last place finishes in the semi finals) and then turned it around to EASILY win the events pinnacle competition.

Nowhere?

Ever heard of the African Championships? Mak-Daddy was the 800 champ this year.

Makhloufi also ran 3:30 this year - he obviously has the speed that's necessary to contend for a gold medal.

Haters gonna hate. Mak-Daddy will keep kicking ass. 1:41/3:27 next summer baby!!!

Nobody is disputing what times he has run this year.

looks like he ran 3:32 2 years ago .....

Simon Ripsnitch wrote:

hahaha, yeah - many times - not only single athletes but multiple gusy entered in the same event from the same country. You are right - nothing weird about that- though I guess in your time on the circuit you would have seen similar "normal" stuff like this right?

Maybe they have pollen allergies? You're going to have to do better than this behaviour, which I grant is weird, but why would anybody enter a race, show up, warm up and not decided to compete at the last minute and en masse? Did they suddenly realize that European races having doping control?

While a 3:32 to a 3:30 improvement is nothing to write home about it, Makhloufi is much better than a 3:30 guy at the moment. He made Silas 3:29 Kiplagat look like an overeager high schooler on the back straight in London. It wouldn't surprise me to see Makhloufi drop a 3:28 or even a 3:27 this season, which is certainly an otherworldly improvement for a guy who was a complete nobody until the Olympic 1500.

Simon Ripsnitch wrote

"To argue that Mahkloufis coach is Sudanese is completely irrelevant. And? Rashid Ramzi was a Morrocan who ran for Bahrain."

My point was that Jama Aden is an established coach, He won't risk get associated with doping athletes. By the way he is of Somali descent.

Your anecdote is amusing but let's just stick to facts and not speculate.

If he is a cheat it will be revealed sooner or later, Algerians will then be the first denounce him. But spreading non substantiated accusations like this is simply wrong.

Aghast wrote:

I don't understand this comment. Nobody questioned whether he was fast. They questioned how he got fast.

Duh, his coach started focusing on finishing speed. And he got his thyroid under control.

a middle distance runner not showing up for a race he's signed up for? what a scandal! that never happens to any Americans, right?

fly a kite wrote:

Again, only caucasians are allowed to run fast, everyone else is on drugs. Oh but the Brits from the 1980's (Coe, Cram, Ovett, Moorcroft, etc.) were also on drugs so that only makes Lydiard's athletes and Americans who are clean - how convenient.

Yeah, but Coe and Cram--two of the best middle distance runners EVER--weren't physically capable of making a mockery of the Olympic men's 1500m.

People keep comparing Makhloufi's times/running style to Centro or Manzano as evidence that he is clean, but neither Manzano nor Centro mushroom stamped the strongest 1500m field in the past 4 years...twice...in two days.