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Hours after being expelled for strolling in 800m heats to conserve energy for 1500m final,Algerian is reinstated

Algerian medal contender Taoufik Makhloufi was reinstated in the 1,500 metres on Monday,hours after being thrown out of the London Olympics for not trying in his 800m heat. After reviewing evidence provided by the LOCOG medical officer,the disqualfication of Taoufik Makhloufi from further participation in the athletics competition of the 2012 Olympic Games has been revoked, the IAAF said in a statement.

Makhloufi,who won his 1,500 semi-final in three minutes 42.24 seconds,had been forced to run in the two lap race after his team failed to withdraw him from it by Sundays deadline. The 24-year-old lined up at the start of heat five at the Olympic stadium on Monday but was already well behind the field at the start of the back straight before stopping running completely another 100 metres into the race and wandering back across the infield past the pole vault area. The Referee considered that he had not provided a bona fide effort and decided to exclude him from participation in all further events in the competition, the IAAF had stated earlier before revoking their decision.

Makhloufi stormed past Olympic and world champion Asbel Kiprop in a stunning to finish to his 1,500 heat on Sunday,marking him out as a possible title contender.

After the badminton fiasco a week back where eight players were thrown out for not trying,the re-inclusion is the latest in a string of incidents at the Games where athletes have not drawn any punishment.

French rider Mickael Bourgain quit the cycling road race after just a few kilometres as planned on the first weekend of the Games having been forced to take part in order to compete in his favoured keirin track event. Last Thursday,cyclist Philip Hindes appeared to admit he deliberately crashed in cyclings team sprint event to ensure Britain were handed a restart because they set off badly.

Rudisha still rules

Kenyan athlete David Rudisha ruled out an attempt on his 800 metres world record after comfortably winning his heat on Monday. Rudisha,whose world record stands at one minute 41.01 seconds,is the overwhelming favourite to take the 800 title in London after missing out on selection for Beijing four years ago through injury.

Rudisha took the lead in his heat as the athletes broke from their lanes and gently increased his long,loping stride over the final lap for a straightforward victory in one minute 45.90 seconds. The only man to have beaten Rudisha over 800 since 2009,Ethiopias Mohamed Aman,also made Tuesdays semi-finals,winning a pedestrian race in 1:47.34.

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Nadzeya Ostapchuk of Belarus won the women8217;s shot gold medal put on Monday with a winning distance of 21.36 metres. Beijing champion Valerie Adams of New Zealand had to settle for the silver with 20.70. Russia8217;s Evgeniia Kolodko was third with a personal best of 20.48 on her final attempt.

Sally records fastest time

Australias gold medal favourite Sally Pearson,who went all out in the 100 hurdles to record the fastest first-round time at an Olympics with 12.57 seconds. Pearson overcame her nerves to dominate her hurdles heat,finishing almost 0.5 seconds clear of runner-up Reina-Flor Okori of France.

She will line up against Lolo Jones in Tuesdays semis after the American,who fell in the final in Beijing when leading the race,won her heat in a seasons best of 12.68. Former world champion Brigitte Hylton-Foster missed out on qualifying after hitting the fifth hurdle in her heat.

Kellie Wells,the only woman to beat Pearson this year,and defending champion Dawn Harper both made it through to the next round.

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There was also plenty of home success in the morning qualifiers to keep the cheers rolling around the stadium. Lawrence Okoye sealed a place in Tuesdays discus final with a throw of 65.28.

But there were tears for womens 1,500 medal hopeful Genzebe Dibaba,younger sister of Ethiopias 10,000 champion Tirunesh,who was taken off the track in a wheelchair clutching her hamstring after struggling in her heat.