Algerian Taoufik Makhloufi, Olympic 1500m champion in 2012, announced Monday his withdrawal from the Tokyo Games due to “a knee injury”, in a statement sent to the official Algerian press agency APS. "I find myself forced to listen to my body and this recalcitrant knee which has long disrupted my preparation, just like the Covid-19 that I contracted last year", wrote the triple Olympic medalist, specifying that he "tried for a long time to extend the deadline to make a final decision ”. Makhloufi, 33, was also Olympic vice-champion over 800 m and 1,500 meters in Rio in 2016. A major figure in athletics in Algeria, he announced his decision the day he was to leave for the Japanese capital. "I would have liked to maintain the Olympic flame so thatit does not go out for the third edition in a row. But, alongside hopes and ambition, in an athlete, there is also athleticism and weaknesses, ”he admitted. “I have passed several tests. They were inconclusive. Not being on schedule for training is frustrating for a runner. But my frustration would have been greater if I had run to come back empty-handed from Japan, ”Mekhloufi pleaded.But my frustration would have been greater if I had run to come back empty-handed from Japan, ”Mekhloufi pleaded.But my frustration would have been greater if I had run to come back empty-handed from Japan, ”Mekhloufi pleaded.
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