Taoufik Makhloufi

Taoufik Makhloufi

Taoufik Makhloufi first from left, winner on 1500m in Zagreb, 2012
Personal information
Native name توفيق مخلوفي
Nationality Algerian
Born 29 April 1988
Souk Ahras, Algeria
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 78 kg (172 lb)
Sport
Sport Track and field
Event(s) Middle-distance running
Club GS Pétroliers
Coached by Jama Aden
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
  • 800 m: 1:43.53 (2014)
  • 1500 m: 3:30.40 (2014)

Taoufik Makhloufi (Arabic: توفيق مخلوفي‎; born 29 April 1988) is an Algerian track and field icon who specialises in middle-distance running. He became the 1500 metres Olympic champion at the 2012 Summer Olympics. With his historic gold medal finish in the London Olympics, Makhloufi has faced numerous allegations of doping, yet he has been tested over 30 times each year.[1]

He was also the 800 metres gold medallist at the 2012 African Championships and the 2011 All-Africa Games. He has twice represented Algeria at the World Championships in Athletics. His personal bests are 1:43.53 minutes for the 800 m and 3:30.40 minutes for the 1500 metres.[2] He trains with GS Pétroliers.[3] Evan Scully (Scully Therapy Clinic) from Ireland, joined Makhloufi in 2015 to become his Therapist and Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Career

Born in Souk Ahras, Makhloufi made his first international outing at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where he finished 82nd in the 8 km junior race.[4] He began competing at the senior level in 2009 and at the 2009 Mediterranean Games he placed fourth in the 1500 metres.[5] An appearance at the Golden Gala meeting followed soon after and he ran a personal best of 3:34.34 minutes. He won his first national title that year and represented his country at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, where he was a semi-finalist.[2] In 2010 he improved his best to 3:32.94 minutes at the Herculis meeting and ranked among the top twenty that year.[6] He reached the 1500 m final at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics, but failed to finish.[7]

Makhloufi's fastest run of 2011 (3:34.4 minutes) came at a national meeting in Algiers and he competed twice on the 2011 Diamond League circuit (in Doha and Stockholm). After taking his second Algerian 1500 m title, he was again selected for the World Championships team and again reached the semi-final stage.[2] It was at the 2011 All-Africa Games that he made his international breakthrough. He won the 1500 m bronze medal behind Kenyan opposition, then defeated the much more favoured Boaz Kiplagat Lalang in the 800 metres final to take his first continental gold medal.[8][9]

Following this success he began to compete more frequently in the 800 m in the 2012 season. His first 1500 m race of the season was a runner-up finish at the Rabat Meeting and he improved his 800 m best to 1:44.88 minutes in Stockholm.[10] Building upon his previous African title, a tactical mistake by the leading Kenyan runners helped Makhloufi win the 800 m title at the 2012 African Championships in Athletics, setting a personal best of 1:43.88 minutes in the process.[11] On 20 July he set a new personal best at the 1500 m at Herculis meeting in Monaco with a time 3:30.80.

He achieved the qualifying standard for the 1500 m and 800 m and was entered in both races at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He reached for the 1500 m final after winning his heat and semi-final. The Algerian Olympic Association had failed to withdraw him from the 800 m event, which he no longer wished to compete in, and he was forced to enter the race. Makhloufi slowed and dropped out in the early stages of his 800 m – a performance that led to him being disqualified from the games as the IAAF referee "considered that he had not provided a bona fide effort". However, he was re-instated after producing an independent medical certificate showing that an ailment had hampered his efforts.[12] The following day, Makhloufi won the 1500 m Olympic final with a time of 3:34.08 minutes.[13] This performance surprised critics given his previous medical statement and the quality of the field. Makhloufi explained that his improvements stemmed from a change of coach and his intensive training that year.[14][15]

On August 17, 2012, he set a new personal best in the 800m at DN Galan Diamond League meeting in Stockholm with a time 1:43.71 finishing second after Mohammed Aman from Ethiopia, and ahead of Abubaker Kaki, Duane Solomon, Marcin Lewandowski, and Adam Kszczot.[16]

Achievements

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
Representing  Algeria
2007 World Cross Country Championships Mombasa, Kenya 82nd Junior race
2009 Mediterranean Games Pescara, Italy 4th 1500 m 3:39.37
World Championships Berlin, Germany 17th (sf) 1500 m 3:37.87
2010 African Championships Nairobi, Kenya 12th 1500 m DNF
2011 World Championships Daegu, South Korea 24th (sf) 1500 m 3:50.86
All-Africa Games Maputo, Mozambique 1st 800 m 1:46:32
3rd 1500 m 3:39.99
2012 African Championships Porto Novo, Benin 1st 800 m 1:43.88
Summer Olympics London, United Kingdom 1st 1500 m 3:34.08

References

  1. ↑ Laura Williamson (2012-08-07). "London 2012 Olympics: Taoufik Makhloufi wins 1500m | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Makhloufi, Taoufik. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-07-02.
  3. ↑ "Taoufik Makhloufi". London2012.com. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  4. ↑ "2007 World Cross Country Championships". World Junior Athletics History. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  5. ↑ "2009 Mediterranean Games Men's 1500 metres". Pescara2009.it. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  6. ↑ 1500 Metres 2010. IAAF (2010-12-03). Retrieved on 2012-07-02.
  7. ↑ "2010 African Championships Men's 1500. 2010 Nairobi". Dbresults.net. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  8. ↑ "All-Africa Games – Jeux Africains, Maputo (Mozambique) 11-15/9". Africathle.com. 2011-09-11. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  9. ↑ Makori, Elias (2011-09-15). From Daegu to Maputo, Jeylan and Montsho rule! – All Africa Games. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-07-02.
  10. ↑ "Taoufik Makhloufi". Diamondleague.com. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  11. ↑ Watta, Evelyn (2012-06-30). Montsho and Makwala take 400m titles in Porto-Novo – African champs, Day 3. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-07-02.
  12. ↑ "London 2012 Olympics: Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi reinstated into Olympic 1500m final after being thrown out for lack of effort at 800m". Telegraph.co.uk. 2012-08-06. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  13. ↑ "Algeria’s Taoufik Makhloufi wins 1,500 gold medal". Washington Post. Associated Press. 2012-08-07. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
  14. ↑ Robert Kitson (2012-08-07). "Taoufik Makhloufi wins Olympic gold 24 hours after disqualification". Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  15. ↑ Simon Turnbull (2012-08-09). "Makhloufi's miracle 1500m win met with growing scepticism". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  16. ↑

External links