by Alfonz Juck
Mahiedine Mehkissi, photo by PhotoRun.netMekhissi to compete only by end of June
PARIS (FRA): European steeple record holder Mahiedine Mehkissi will start the season later as initially planned. He will resume competition only by end of June. After an indoor season limited to a single appearance, in early February in Val de Rueil at the 2000 m, just after returning from two and a half months of training in the United States he is now with his coach Farouk Madaci at the INSEP to cure his achilles tendons. “I do not have permission to run yet. I prefer to recover before thinking about competition,” he said. “I prefer to take care of myself, I have enough to run with pain. The Federation is aware of all this, in agreement with my coach, everything goes well. And for the World Championships? That is the real objective. Meetings, I do not care. I am an eternal fighter. It does not change my mindset,” he said by L´Equipe.
RunBlogRun opines: Mekhissi is not only highly entertaining to watch, he is deadly anytime medals are on the line in the steeplechase. His last 500 to 600 meters are brutally fast when the rest of the field is praying for a nice bottle of water and a blanket. Mekhissi runs down his competition, and should never be discounted. This year, he has achilles issues. If he can get healthy, Mekhissi will be tough in the final in London. He should have been an American professional hockey player.
