Taoufik Makhloufi

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

On 15 August 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]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Taoufik Makhloufi.

• Taoufik Makhloufi at World Athletics
• Taoufik Makhloufi at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)