UKC

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/aug/15/mahiedine-mekhissi-benabbad-st...

What an extraordinarily disproportionate sanction for doing something that harmed or impeded no-one.

I think the Spanish athletics federation who appealed and the spineless bureaucrats who upheld it have done a far better job of bringing the sport into disrepute than a celebrating shirtless athlete.

In a final irony, it bumped a druggie up into the bronze medal position. Brilliant.

In reply to Malcolm Tucker's Sweary Aunt:

Clear and well established rules on removing your number, this particular Frenchman is a well known and practiced arsehole.

In reply to The New NickB:

There are clear rules on parking on a double yellow, but you don't get life imprisonment for it, however much of an arsehole you are.

In reply to Malcolm Tucker's Sweary Aunt:
Far from life imprisonment, he just gets his day ruined. It just so happens that the day he chose to risk ruining was one of the most important days of his sporting life.

When I watched it at the time even I thought he could be disqualified for doing that, and I'm not even a runner. He must have been much more aware he was pushing his luck, so either he wanted the publicity and/or he was stupid.

Edited to add second para.

In reply to Malcolm Tucker's Sweary Aunt:

If he doesn't care about the technicality of the rules, he's unlikely to care that his victory was not recognised on a technicality...

In reply to john arran:



Or got carried away.

In reply to Malcolm Tucker's Sweary Aunt:


now that would be cheating

In reply to Malcolm Tucker's Sweary Aunt:


Who got life imprisonment?

In reply to john arran:

He was previously had a fight with another athlete, during a race and assaulted a mascot! He is very much the Louis Saurez of the Steeplechase.

In reply to Malcolm Tucker's Sweary Aunt:
I've see kids disqualified for not having their vests tucked in so this is pretty unsurprising

In reply to Malcolm Tucker's Sweary Aunt:

The cost of arrogant stupidity is always high

In reply to stroppygob:

Surely he was disqualified for being a dickhead, forget his shirt.