Excluded from Olympics for not trying

This Algerian who was thrown out for not trying in his 800m heat:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/19152117

It says he was forced to race because he wasn’t withdrawn before the deadline. But why didn’t he just not turn up for the race? What would have happened to him then?

I’d also suggest getting thrown out of the Olympics for that is a bit harsh – it’s hardly in the same category as what the Badminton players got up to (ie not trying to manipulate results, and not spoiling the event for the spectators).

If he had not turned up he would not have been allowed to start the 1500m final. Don’t know why he couldn’t have given it a bit more and not been so poor without effecting his performance in the final.

If he had not turned up he would not have been allowed to start the 1500m final.

So how is that different from Ennis not turning up to the 100m hurdles heats this morning – an event she was entered in and not withdrawn before the deadline, just like Makhloufi. Why don’t they take her gold medal away for that?

Have there been exclusions at other Olympics for these types of things?

I have never heard of it before, but just wondering if we are seeing the stories because its the home games, or if they are being particularly strict this time round.

I presume Ennis can DNS as she doesn’t want to compete in any more events.

What if she twisted her ankle walking to the event. Would you take her earlier gold away then? Though not.

So it seems sensible not to punish a DNS beyond not being allowed to compete in future events or you would get loads of fake injuries.

What’s the background to him not wanting to do the 800 but wanting to do the 1500?

It’s very possible his athletic federation entered him for an event he didn’t want to do.

If he had naused up the 1500 in the early rounds he would have had a shot at the 800 as a second bite of the cherry. Do they not do the double (800 & 1500) commonly any more – does seem a bit strange.

I presume Ennis can DNS as she doesn’t want to compete in any more events.

What if she twisted her ankle walking to the event. Would you take her earlier gold away then? Though not.

So it seems sensible not to punish a DNS beyond not being allowed to compete in future events or you would get loads of fake injuries.

I’m still wondering what the difference is though. Nobody seems to even be complaining about Ennis not making the start line, yet this Algerian has had his chance of winning a medal taken away. Would it have been wrong for him to fake illness (I suppose he could always try that now)? Why not just not punish athletes at all for withdrawing at the last minute? What exactly is it supposed to achieve, when it seems it’s OK for some to do so but not others – seems extremely unfair.

If he had naused up the 1500 in the early rounds he would have had a shot at the 800 as a second bite of the cherry

Just like the reported reason for Ennis being entered in the hurdles then (though she still holds the stadium record after the heats of that!)

It all seems fairly logical to me.

If you DNS becuase you are done for the whole event then OK bye. No problems, we’d rather you race but we can’t force you.

However if you DNS don’t come back tomorrow for another event, otherwise we will question what was wrong with the event you DNSed in, you have just “not tried” and that is against the rules. If you have a doctors note to explain thats fine though (this has been offered to the Algerian).

The difference between Ennis and this guy is that Ennis did her event and then withdrew from the next (for whatever reason, it doesn’t matter), the Algerian tried to hedge his bets and when he was doing better in one event he tried to get out of his obligation for the next. Nobody is stopping him withdrawing from all future events.

If he didn’t think he could do both events he shouldn’t have entered them.

There is also a touch of him being punished for being stupid and throwing his toys out of the pram. He obviously knew the rules or he wouldn’t have been at the start line. So why be a brat and do 100m and quit. Why not just jog round at the back of the heat and fail to qualify. Nobody would bat an eyelid and he would have probably done that much in training today anyway if he wasn’t entered into the event.

The news said he was the ninth person disqualified for this at these games.
There’s the 4 badminton players, but no idea about the other four. Anyone know?

Most of the Countries in the road race could have been thrown out for not trying.

The difference between Ennis and this guy is that Ennis did her event and then withdrew from the next (for whatever reason, it doesn’t matter), the Algerian tried to hedge his bets and when he was doing better in one event he tried to get out of his obligation for the next.

That’s a pretty false distinction – didn’t Ennis try to hedge her bets in case she didn’t do well in the heptathlon, and when she did well in that tried to get out of her obligation for the next?

If he didn’t think he could do both events he shouldn’t have entered them.

So how does that not apply to Ennis?

The only obvious distinction appears to be that they feel in a position to punish one athlete and not in a position to punish the other.

The news said he was the ninth person disqualified for this at these games.
There’s the 4 badminton players, but no idea about the other four. Anyone know?

4 badminton pairs.

Kuco – Member – Quote
Most of the Countries in the road race could have been thrown out for not trying.

Some of Team GB could have been thrown out too – i.e. anyone not going for the win and only being there to (a) support another rider or (b) make sure they could compete in another event.

Aracer – Ennis said “I don’t want to compete in these Olympics anymore”. She doesn’t need to give a reason but if she did she could claim tiredness, injury, mental fatigue, anything.

If say she was entered into the hurdles and the long jump she wouldn’t be able to DNS in the hurdles and then compete in the long jump unless she had an independent docs note giving a reason why.

The Algerian wanted to not try in the 800m even though he was entered in it. This is against the rules. He can either DNS and that is the end of his Olympics or compete like he said he would. Pounding across the infield just made it worse.

I understand the way the rules are written – I’m just suggesting the distinction is unfair. If the whole of the 1500 competition had been finished before they started the 800 (which arguably should be the case anyway), then Makhloufi could have just DNS in the 800 in the same way Ennis did. He’s being penalised for the event scheduling.

druidh’s point is an interesting one though. On the basis of this precedent Mickael Bourgain should be excluded from the Olympics and not allowed to compete in the Keirin – he only rode just over 1% of the distance of the road race, unlike Makhloufi who ran 25% of the 800.

He’s been let back in now anyway

It is a dangerous precedent to set as effort is subjective.

It was nonsense – someone not trying in a distance running race is absolutely nothing like someone not trying in badminton. There were a bunch of other runners to keep the audience entertained,he made no difference to that.

He’s been let back in now anyway

Only because the mysterious illness which prevented him from competing this morning isn’t going to affect him in the 1,500m, according to the medics.

Can I get a

From the crowd?

the argument is that you’re taking the place of someone else who could be bothered.
I thought it was a bit harsh.

the argument is that you’re taking the place of someone else who could be bothered.

Just like Ennis

Though she also now appears to be our best 200m runner.

vicky pendleton didn’t try in her sprint match today.

she won with more ease than i take my baby’s dummy from her.

Before all the drama about not trying in the 800m Steve Cram made it pretty obvious what he thought about Makhloufi when he won the 1500m semi.

Unfortunately the coverage on the bbc website doesn’t have the commentary but if i recall he pretty much came out and said he was doping!

vicky pendleton didn’t try in her sprint match today.

she won with more ease than i take my baby’s dummy from her.

Hardly the same, is it. She needed to win. She did. The fact that it required little effort is not the same as not trying.

CountZero – you need a sense of humour transplant as yours is plainly failing.

Before all the drama about not trying in the 800m Steve Cram made it pretty obvious what he thought about Makhloufi when he won the 1500m semi.

I did wonder if that had anything to do with the eagerness with which he was thrown out.

I’d have thought the French track sprinter who started the road race only to abandon soon after should have fallen foul of this rule to?

Bourgain is already mentioned a couple of times up there, FuzzyWuzzy.