London 2012: Athlete thrown out for not trying hard

Algerian runner Taoufik Makhloufi has been thrown out of the Olympic Games here for not trying hard enough in his 800-metre heat on Monday, according to a International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) statement on Monday.

Makhloufi has already qualified for Tuesday's 1,500-metre final as semi-final winner. He didn't finish Monday morning's 800-metre heat, reports Xinhua.

"Makhloufi did not finish the race," the statement said. "The referee considered that he had not provided a bonafide effort and decided to exclude him from participation in all further events in the competition under Rule 142.4."

An IAAF spokeswoman said the athlete could be reinstated with a medical certificate from an independent local doctor explaining he had an ailment that troubled him.

Kuwaiti runner Mohammad Al-Azemi was also disqualified from 800-metre event Monday for obstruction.