Taoufik Makhloufi Disqualified from 1500m for "not providing a bona fide effort" in the 800m

Who takes his place if he's not reinstated?

The next guy that didn't qualify from his heat? (Morrocon guy, this is what I think should happen)

Or the next fastest guy that didn't qualify? (Andy Baddeley)

who's in? wrote:

Who takes his place if he's not reinstated?

The next guy that didn't qualify from his heat? (Morrocon guy, this is what I think should happen)

Or the next fastest guy that didn't qualify? (Andy Baddeley)

I don't think anyone would fill the spot, because he wasn't disqualified as a result of the race itself or a protest filed in that race. They'll have one spot open in the final.

Koneko wrote:

Makhloufi likely entered both events before realizing how ass backwards the London schedule was.

The track schedule has been available for quite a while--at least since the U.S. Trials. No way he entered without knowing the schedule.

He obviously wanted to be entered in the 800m in case he didn't make the 1500m final. He just didn't pull out of the 800m in time.

Here's my theory: the IAAF suspected Makhloufi was doping but didn't want the embarrassment of another 1500m medal revocation after a positive drug test. So they came to Makhloufi with a deal to induce him to drop out without obtaining a positive test result: we pretty sure you're doping and we will catch you if we test your samples. However, if you decide to not run the 1500m final, we'll drop this entire matter and make sure your samples aren't touched. Half-ass the 800m heat (supposedly to save energy for the 1500m--more plausible than a phantom injury) so we can DQ you, and we'll forget this ever happened. You'll even be able to pick up some money on our IAAF circuit after these games.

Say what??????? wrote:

What are you even talking about? Unfair tactics?

Willis said he was intentionally working to box in one of the Kenyans in the first round, trying to keep him from advancing. Masback repeats that during Willis' semi, adding that 'he talked too much after the first round' or something. It is surprising that it isn't being made more of in these games where honest effort and fair play seem to be unbreakable rules.

This is a fairly well known rule. I've seen it brought up in college meets before. How could his coaches not know this would happen? It's not hard to have a coach or representative say their runner is not healthy or feeling well enough to compete.

ldsfjoer wrote:

Here's my theory: the IAAF suspected Makhloufi was doping but didn't want the embarrassment of another 1500m medal revocation after a positive drug test. So they came to Makhloufi with a deal to induce him to drop out without obtaining a positive test result: we pretty sure you're doping and we will catch you if we test your samples. However, if you decide to not run the 1500m final, we'll drop this entire matter and make sure your samples aren't touched. Half-ass the 800m heat (supposedly to save energy for the 1500m--more plausible than a phantom injury) so we can DQ you, and we'll forget this ever happened. You'll even be able to pick up some money on our IAAF circuit after these games.

or....he just didn't want to wreck his legs for the 1500 (and wasn't aware of the 'fair effort' rule.

You decide.

Do a spell check before publishing next time.

Boxing someone in is not against any rules. Its just tactics.

Listen guys. This was unfair but good. This guy is a cheat, 100%. Everyone in Europe knows this.

During january he could barely run he was so out of shape. By easter he would be crushing top world runners. Also, its a known fact.

If he gets a medal in the 1500 it will be a scandal.

So if he didn't cheer on his fellow competitors (seems like within the Olympic spirit) he may not have been DQ'd?I'm sure he's dirty but it seems like a silly call.I don't think this compares to the badminton controversy, in that case the entire audience had to watch two teams trying to lose. In this case there were others in the heat that were trying to compete and people drop out all the time.

Koneko wrote:

roy jones wrote:

What's the difference between jogging 1:52 and dropping out after 200? Both aren't an honest effort. The 1:52 even more so because it doesn't give him the injury excuse.

I didn't see the race. Did he just stop and walk off? Dude needs some acting lessons. Should have been cluthing a hammy and waiting for a stretcher.

Nah.

By jogging a 1:52 he could at least say he was tired from the 1500.

Remember when Kiprop tried to double in 2009? He ended up jogging a 1:52.

Makhloufi stepped off the track and clapped for the other runners. It was silly.

Rules are rules and him and coaches should have known about it, but I think it is still pretty stupid he gets kicked out of the 1500 too.

THEY NEED TO JUST LET THE GUY RUN THE RACE. SILLY.

Surely he can see he had some stomach issues and can get a doctor to sign off on that.

I don't understand the tin foil hats who say he was trying to avoid a drug test. What's he going to test positive for that he wasn't worried about the other day? Surely a guy of his caliber knows how to dose and not get caught.

This is a High school/College rule - it does not belong in the Olympics. The stupid official who followed through on this should be fired and sued.

So he (or his federation) didn't scrtach him - it was a preliminary round, no one else (seeding excepted) was affected. The badminton thing was an entirely different situation. He didn't know that he would qualify for the 1500m final (I wouldn't have picked him to go through), and so dropping out after starting (I have HS athletes do this all the time as they have to toe the line before dropping out) the 800m isn't a big deal. Honest effort is a joke to enforce - were the guys giving an honest effort in going so slowly in the 1500m, or the women going out in 2.23 for the first 800m of their race?! Is going out in 55 when you are a 1.45 guy an honest effort? It lays the ground for too subjective a call by officials (isn't there too much of this already in some Olympic sports?).

The guy should be allowed (doping aspersions aside) to compete in the 1500m as he qualified for the final, anything else is a joke and a travesty.

There is actually no national high school "honest effort" rule. Go to one of the High School National meets and you'll see empty lanes all the time because kids will enter three events and then wait to see where the weakest fields are and drop the other events. In fact at outdoor nationals, I don't believe you are allowed to run the Elite DMR and the Elite Mile (maybe 2 mile) so you have to drop one if you get into both. That may not still be the rule but was five years ago.

This is a big shame for all who are involved in the case. I don't know if the Algerian is "dirty" or not - but if he is disqualified because of this, than I will not follow the event in London anymore.

How often athletes are trying to help athletes from their "team" (same country)? Just to list the two most populat ones: Ben Jipcho in Mexico '68 and Adil Kaouch in Seville '99. So, they have tried to do the best for themselve? They havn't. Or Kenyan Mike Chesire, who ran the first lap in the 5k from Stuttgart '93 in around 60s if I'm correct, and finished dead last in something like 14:30. Yesterday the Kenyan marathon runner who won the silver medal tried to help Mary Keitany and gave her the water bottle while obviously ruining her own chances little bit than. (She still finished ahead of Keitany).

Listen Scandinavian Guy, I don't know where you where in January to test Makhloufi's shape, but for your information; he was for more than 3 months in Iten, Kenya around that time and training hard and very focused!

In the 2011 All African Games in Maputo I heard for the first time from this guy and Collins Cheboi and Caleb Ndiku (no 2 and 1 there) invited this guy to come and train with the Kenyans. He won the 800mtr overthere by the way.

I don't know nothing about doping and on Let's run there is always suspicion when it's about Noth Africans, but I don't believe in this type of conspiracy.

So not in shape, everybody knows, known fact etc. I am reasonable embattled into the scene and I am not aware of all those facts you mention.

If they don't reinstall him; that will be the scandal!

I wonder if the Host Country's Andy Baddeley will get in...he has the next fastest time...