16 Facts About Taoufik Makhloufi

Taoufik Makhloufi is an Algerian athlete who specialises in middle-distance running.

Taoufik Makhloufi became the 1500 metres Olympic champion at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.

In 2016, Makhloufi took the silver medal in the 800m and 1500 m at the Summer Olympics in Rio, Brazil.

Taoufik Makhloufi was the 800 metres gold medallist at the 2012 African Championships and the 2011 All-Africa Games.

Taoufik Makhloufi has represented Algeria three times at the World Championships in Athletics.

Taoufik Makhloufi began competing at the senior level in 2009 and at the 2009 Mediterranean Games he placed fourth in the 1500 metres.

Taoufik Makhloufi won his first national title that year and represented his country at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, where he was a semi-finalist.

Taoufik Makhloufi's fastest run of 2011 came at a national meeting in Algiers and he competed twice on the 2011 Diamond League circuit.

Taoufik Makhloufi explained that his improvements stemmed from a change of coach and his intensive training that year.

Taoufik Makhloufi only ran the Mile race in Eugene, Oregon on June 1,2013 and later announced not participating at the world championships in Moscow that year.

Taoufik Makhloufi missed the entire 2017 and 2018 seasons due to injury and couldn't take part of the 2017 World Athletics Championships in London.

Taoufik Makhloufi finished second behind Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot in the 1500 m at the 2019 World Championships in Athletics in Doha winning his first medal at a world championship with a season best time of 3:31.38.

In 2019, Taoufik Makhloufi was awarded the Medal of Order of Merit by the Algerian government as a compensation of his outstanding sport career representing Algeria in international competitions.

In March 2020, Taoufik Makhloufi travelled to South Africa to prepare for the planned 2020 Summer Olympics on high altitude, but was trapped by the pandemic and was unable to regain Algeria until late July 2020.

Taoufik Makhloufi expressed his anger on social media and criticized the Algerian authorities for not doing their best to get him back after the Olympics were postponed.

Taoufik Makhloufi dismissed his training camp planned in Mexico on January 10,2021 due to an injury that he was treating in Algeria and continued his preparations for the 2020 Summer Olympics where he qualified for the 1500 m event after achieving the qualification standard in the 2019 World Athletics Championships.