Video: French 1,500m Runners Exchange a Headbutt, Multiple Blows in Monaco

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While it is true that calling two 1,500 metre runners representing the same country "teammates" is done so in a very loose sense of the word, it is hardly the done thing for such a pair to come to blows.

But so it passed at the Diamond League Monaco on Friday. Shortly after their race, Mehdi Baala and Mahiedine Mekhissi Benabbad started to exchange pleasantries. Baala gave no quarter and was moved to headbutt Benabbad, who in turn unleashed a flurry of haymakers at his compatriot.

No clearcut winner in this one and for what it's worth, neither had much impact in the race. Baala, the Olympic 1,500 bronze medallist, was ninth, more than three seconds behind Kenya's Silas Kiplagat, the winner. Mekhissi-Benabbad, who is an Olympic 3,000 steeplechase silver medallist, was 11th, close to another two seconds further back.

According to Baala, the whole thing was a bit of a misunderstanding: "Seeing Mahiedine so dejected after the race I wanted to comfort him - something he certainly would never have done for me.

"I wanted to give him a friendly pat on the head but he took it badly."

 

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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/07/23/video-french-1-500m-runners-exchange-a-headbutt-multiple-blows/

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