Makhloufi is reported to have abandoned efforts to make Moscow after failing to recover from a viral infection, the country's El Watan newspaper has reported.

Meanwhile, Semenya, the women's 800m London 2012 silver medallist, looks likely to be another absentee from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Championships after being left of an initial list of South African athletes to compete in Russia.

Semenya has struggled all season with an old knee injury, and could only manage 2min 6.58sec in an 800m race in Finland on Wednesday (July 17) – her first competition since the Olympics.

She now has until July 29 to achieve a qualifying time of 2.00min or less.

Makhloufi, 25, who was disqualified at the London 2012 Games for failing to make a "bone fide effort" in the 800m heats before being reinstated, has struggled with his form since becoming ill while training in Ethiopia in January.

He finished 11th in the mile at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene on June 1.


Makhloufi's manager, Mohamed Azzoug, said his athlete had not recovered sufficiently to take part in the World Championships – which run from August 10 to 18, although Algerian athletics officials said they had not been officially notified of his withdrawal.

After dropping out early in his 800m heat to preserve his energy for the 1,500m final, for which he had already qualified, Makhloufi produced a doctor's certificate saying he had suffered an unspecific injury and he was duly reinstated.

He went on to take the 1,500 gold having improved his personal best over the distance by more than two seconds during the year.

Women's Olympic 1,500m champion Aslı Çakır Alptekin of Turkey will miss the IAAF World Championships after failing a drugs test, as will leading sprinters Tyson Gay of the United States and Jamaica's Asafa Powell for the same reason.

World 100m champion Yohan Blake of Jamaica will not defend his title because of a hamstring strain, and Kenya's world and Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha is also absent with a knee injury.

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