Taoufik Makhloufi

Taoufik Makhloufi is an Algerian middle-distance runner who won the 1500 metres at the London 2012 Olympic Games. 4 years later, in Rio, he won silver medals in both the 800 and the 1500 metres. He was born on 29 April 1988 in Souk Ahras, in eastern Algeria.

Makhloufi came from a modest family. He began to compete in athletics at 15.

In 2011 he won the 800 metres at the All-Africa Games in Maputo. A year later he became African champion over the same distance.

At the London Games, on 6 August 2012, officials excluded him after he stopped running in an 800 metres heat. They judged that he had not made a real effort, but a medical certificate brought him back. The next day he won the 1500 metres final in 3 minutes 34.08 seconds.

In Rio in 2016 he took silver in the 800 metres on 15 August, setting a national record of 1 minute 42.61 seconds. 5 days later he won silver in the 1500 metres. In 2019 he added another silver in the 1500 metres at the World Championships in Doha.

A knee injury kept him out of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. In October 2019, after his medal in Doha, Algeria had given him the National Order of Merit.