Taoufik Makhloufi

Taoufik Makhloufi
Makhloufi in 2013
Personal information
Native name توفيق مخلوفي
Nationality Algerian
Born (1988-04-29) 29 April 1988
Souk Ahras, Algeria
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight 70 kg (154 lb)
Sport
Sport Track and field
Event(s) 800 and 1500 metres
Club GS Pétroliers
Coached by Jama Aden (2012-14) ; Philippe Dupont (2014-)
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)
  • 800 m: 1:42.61 NR (2016)
  • 1000 m: 2:13.08 NR (2015)
  • 1500 m: 3:28.75 PB (2015)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Algeria
Olympic Games
2012 London1500 m
2016 Rio de Janeiro800 m
2016 Rio de Janeiro1500 m
African Games
2011 Maputo800 m
2015 Brazzaville800 m
2011 Maputo1500 m
African Championships
2012 Porto Novo800 m
2014 Marrakech800 m

Taoufik Makhloufi (Arabic: توفيق مخلوفي‎; born 29 April 1988) is an Algerian track and field athlete who specialises in middle-distance running. He became the 1500 metres Olympic champion at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In 2016, Makhloufi took the silver medal in the 800m and 1500 m at the Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil.[1][2]

He was also the 800 metres gold medallist at the 2012 African Championships and the 2011 All-Africa Games. He has represented Algeria three times at the World Championships in Athletics. His personal bests are 1.42.61 minutes for the 800 m, set at the Rio Olympics, and 3:28.75 minutes for the 1500 metres.[3] He trains with GS Pétroliers.[4]

Career

Born in Souk Ahras, Makhloufi made his international debut at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, where he finished 82nd in the 8 km junior race.[5] He began competing at the senior level in 2009 and at the 2009 Mediterranean Games he placed fourth in the 1500 metres.[6] 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.[3] In 2010 he improved his best to 3:32.94 minutes at the Herculis meeting and ranked among the top twenty that year.[7] He reached the 1500 m final at the 2010 African Championships in Athletics, but failed to finish.[8]

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.[3] 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.[9][10]

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.[11] 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.[12] 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 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.[13] The following day, Makhloufi won the 1500 m Olympic final with a time of 3:34.08 minutes.[14] 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.[15][16]

On July 1, 2015, he won the European Athletics Classic meet 1000m in Tomblaine, France in a new Algerian record of 2:13.08.[17]

On August 15, 2016, he set a new personal best and Algerian record in the 800m final at the Olympic Games in Rio with a time of 1:42:61 finishing second behind David Rudisha from Kenya.[18]

Achievements

Makhloufi (left) competing on 1500 m in Zagreb, 2012
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
Olympic Games London, United Kingdom 1st 1500 m 3:34.08
2015 World Championships Beijing, China 4th 1500 m 3:34.76
African Games Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo 2nd 800 m 1:50.72
2016 Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2nd 800 m 1:42.61 NR
2nd 1500 m 3:50.11

References

  1. ↑ Laura Williamson (2012-08-07). "London 2012 Olympics: Taoufik Makhloufi wins 1500m | Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  2. ↑
  3. 1 2 3 Makhloufi, Taoufik. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-07-02.
  4. ↑ "Taoufik Makhloufi". London2012.com. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  5. ↑ "2007 World Cross Country Championships". World Junior Athletics History. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  6. ↑ "2009 Mediterranean Games Men's 1500 metres". Pescara2009.it. Archived from the original on 2009-07-05. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  7. ↑ 1500 Metres 2010. IAAF (2010-12-03). Retrieved on 2012-07-02.
  8. ↑ "2010 African Championships Men's 1500. 2010 Nairobi". Dbresults.net. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  9. ↑ "All-Africa Games – Jeux Africains, Maputo (Mozambique) 11-15/9". Africathle.com. 2011-09-11. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  10. ↑ Makori, Elias (2011-09-15). From Daegu to Maputo, Jeylan and Montsho rule! – All Africa Games. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-07-02.
  11. ↑ "Taoufik Makhloufi". Diamondleague.com. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  12. ↑ Watta, Evelyn (2012-06-30). Montsho and Makwala take 400m titles in Porto-Novo – African champs, Day 3. IAAF. Retrieved on 2012-07-02.
  13. ↑ "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.
  14. ↑ "Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi wins 1,500 gold medal". Washington Post. Associated Press. 2012-08-07. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
  15. ↑ Robert Kitson (2012-08-07). "Taoufik Makhloufi wins Olympic gold 24 hours after disqualification". Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
  16. ↑ Simon Turnbull (2012-08-09). "Makhloufi's miracle 1500m win met with growing scepticism". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-09-11.
  17. ↑
  18. ↑
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