Algerian runner kicked out of Olympics for "not trying"

[aarkieboy]

Algerian middle-distance runner Taoufik Makhloufi has been kicked out of the London Olympics for not trying hard Monday in an 800-meter preliminary heat.



Makhloufi, who stopped running in the first lap of the 800, had already qualified for Tuesday's 1,500 final, and he appeared to be saving energy for that race, where he was a likely medal contender.

The International Association of Athletics Federations says race referee found the 24-year-old African champion in the 800 guilty of ''failure to compete honestly with bona fide effort.''

IAAF rules state that ''an athlete shall be excluded from participation in all further events in the competition.''

He was disqualified a week after four women's badminton doubles teams were disqualified for playing to lose in order to get a more favorable position in a later round. - foxsports

[PegLeg]

Dear IAAF, stop penalizing athletes for trying to follow a long term strategy for success that gets created because of your crappy seeding system. If you demand them to win now, give them a reason other than someone might arbitrarily decide that they weren't exerting themselves enough.