Algerian middle-distance runner Taoufik Makhloufi was reinstated for the 1,500-meter final after being disqualified from the London Olympics for allegedly not trying hard enough in the 800-meter heats Monday morning.

Makhloufi had already qualified for Tuesday's 1,500 final, where he was a likely medal contender, when he stopped running in the first lap of his 800 heat.

The race referee ruled that the 24-year-old African champion in the 800 was guilty of “failure to compete honestly with bona fide effort” but the Algerian federation insisted he had a knee problem and that organizers knew about it.

After assessing evidence of a games medical officer, the disqualification was revoked and the runner can compete in the 1,500 final.

The head of Algeria's athletics federation said the team felt “really hard done by in this incident” before the ruling was overturned because Makhloufi's injury was genuine.

“He respected everybody in the race he was in. He presented himself to the race officials,” Bahreddine Belhadjoudja told The Associated Press by telephone from Algeria.

Belhadjoudja acknowledged that Makhloufi, who is the African champion over 800, had prioritized the 1,500 for the Olympics. He had already won his heat and semifinal in the longer event.

“He had a pain in his knee and wanted to save himself for the final,” Belhadjoudja told the AP.

The IAAF reinstated the runner for Tuesday's medal race “after reviewing evidence” from a medical officer.

The 24-year-old runner's case was the latest controversy around not playing to win at the London Games, but this time, the decision was revoked.

Last week, four women's badminton doubles teams from China, Indonesia and South Korea were disqualified for playing to lose in order to manipulate who they would play against in the next round.

The coach of Japan's women's football team escaped sanction from FIFA and the International Olympic Committee after acknowledging that he instructed his team not to win a group match in order to influence in which city the team's quarterfinal would be played.  (AP)

<관련 한글 기사>

‘대충 뛰다’ 쫓겨난 우승후보, 결국...

대충 달렸다는 이유로 올림픽에서 쫓겨났던 선수가 다시 기회를 잡았다.

AP통신은 2012 런던올림픽 남자 800ｍ 예선에서 성실하게 달리지 않았다는 이유로 전 경기 출장 정지를 당한 타오피크 마크로피(24•알제리)가 조직위원회의 결정에 따라 1천500ｍ 결선에서 뛸 수 있게 됐다고 7일 보도했다.

마크로피는 5일 열린 1천500ｍ 예선에서 3분42초24에 테이프를 끊어 조 1위로 결선에 진출했다.

하지만 이튿날 열린 800ｍ 예선에서 마크로피는 골인 지점을 150ｍ 남겨두고 갑 자기 멈춰서 완주를 포기했다.

이를 본 심판은 마크로피가 열심히 뛰지 않았다며 그를 실격시켰다.

국제육상경기연맹(IAAF)의 규칙 142조4항에는 '최선의 노력을 다해 성실하게 뛰지 않을 경우 해당 대회의 모든 경기에서 퇴출되며, 이는 심판이 결정한다'고 규정돼 있다.

이로써 1천500ｍ의 강력한 메달 후보였던 마크로피는 이번 대회 전 경기에 나서 지 못하게 됐다.

알제리올림픽위원회는 곧장 이의를 제기했다.

마크로피의 무릎에 부상이 있었고 이는 런던올림픽조직위원회(LOCOG) 측에서도 이미 알고 있는 사실이라고 항의했다.

항의를 받아들인 조직위원회는 독립 의료기관의 검사 결과에 따라 무릎 통증이 사실임을 인정, 마크로피에게 결선행 티켓을 다시 내줬다.

알제리올림픽위원회 관계자는 "마크로피는 모든 경쟁자를 존경할 줄 아는 선수"라며 "다만 무릎 통증이 있어 1천500ｍ 결선을 위해 몸을 아꼈을 뿐"이라고 설명했다.