That Runner Who Got Kicked Out Of The Olympics For Tanking Just Won The Race He Actually Cared About [London Olympics]

Aug 7, 2012 5:20 PM  

Yesterday we brought you the story of Taoufik Makhloufi of Algeria, who tanked out of his qualifying heat in the 800m in order to conserve his energy for the 1500m final, a stunt that got him kicked out of the Olympics altogether. Makhloufi was later reinstated when he obtained a doctor's note claiming that his performance in the 800m was due to a "knee injury."

Well, that knee seems to have recovered dandily, because Makhloufi just took gold in the 1500m final. The knee injury excuse was obviously bogus, but it's hard to be mad at Makhloufi for doing what he did. He had a much better chance at winning the 1500m, and he knew that he was going to need all the strength he could muster in order to do so. His move may be reprehensible to some (prickish) people, but not to me. He got the gold he wanted, and his tanking didn't adversely effect any of the other runners who were competing. His crime was as victimless as it gets. I suppose the spectators who showed up to watch his heat have some room to complain, but anyone expecting riveting athletic competition from a qualifying heat is dumb.

So, to sum up, if you want to be an Olympic gold medalist, don't go around giving your all like some kind of square. And be sure to smoke plenty of weed. And get laid once in a while, too.

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How Much Are Olympic Medals Actually Worth? [Olympic Medals]

Let's say you're among best in the world at some bizarre sport that only gets attention every four years. You can't make money doing it for a living, and eventually you fall on hard times. At the end of your rope, you go to a pawn shop to sell your most treasured possession: your Olympic medal. How much would you get for it? Let's just say, I hope you finished in the top two.

There are plenty of medals on eBay and other auction sites, but the historic, symbolic, and sentimenal values far outweigh the cost of the raw materials. But if the London medals were to be melted down, they've each got a very specific intrinsic worth.

• The gold medal is largely silver, 92.5 percent silver with a bit of copper mixed in for strength. But they're gilded in about 6 grams of 24k gold. Their street value: about $644.

• The silver medal's composition is the same as the gold, except without the gilding. With no gold, the silver medal is worth about $330.

• The bronze medal is not bronze at all. Mostly copper, with a bit of zinc and tin, it's basically a giant penny. It's worth a little less than $5.

Of course for those who actually earned the medals, they're worth more. They're a lot like those commemorative coins they advertise on the Military Channel, with the Twin Towers on one side and a weeping bald eagle on the other—ask your grandpa, you can't put a price on history.

[Daily Mail]

For a handy master schedule of every Olympic event, click here.

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