It’s never a good idea to count your chickens before they hatch, and Olympic runner Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria had to learn this the hard way in Shanghai on Sunday.
Makhloufi was racing in the men’s 800 meter at the IAAF Track and Field Diamond League meeting Sunday, reports the League’s website. Makhloufi, the London 2012 Olympic champion of the 1500 meter, had pulled ahead of everyone as the finish line approached.
Unfortunately, he was too wrapped up in making victorious gestures to see that Kenya’s Robert Biwott was gaining on him. While Makhloufi was smiling for the finish line camera, Biwott pulled ahead and won.
Just a friendly reminder to Makhloufi: karma affects everyone. Even Olympic runners.