10,000 metres, Men

While the 1964 Olympic 10K had seen the biggest upset in the event’s history, the 1992 final was the most controversial ever. The world record holder, Arturo Barrios (MEX), was in the race, as was 1991 World Champion Moses Tanui (KEN) and World runner-up Richard Chelimo (KEN). Also back was 1990 European Champion and 1988 silver medalist, Salvatore Antibo of Italy.

Chelimo set the pace early in the final, dropping all but seven runners by the eighth lap. By the 16th lap, Chelimo still led, now only accompanied by Morocco’s Khalid Skah, twice International Cross-Country champion. By the 19th lap, these two were lapping runners, and one of the runners they came upon on the 22nd lap was Morocco’s Hammou Boutayeb. Though he was lapped, he suddenly found the strength to run with Chelimo and Skah, to the detriment of Chelimo. Writing in Track & Field News, Cordner Nelson noted, “In the next lap and a half, Boutayeb committed unarmed assault.” He bumped Chelimo several times, cut him off at least twice, and made him run over and around him several times. Shortly before the bell, IAAF Technical Delegate Carl-Gustaf Tollemar ran onto the track to warn Boutayeb to stop his tactics and appeared to try to stop him, to no avail. On the last lap, Skah was the fresher runner, and outsprinted Chelimo, his tank dry from having to fight off Boutayeb’s assaults. Boutayeb dropped out on the last lap.

Shortly after the finish, Skah began a victory lap that was greeted by boos and detritus being thrown at him from the stands. Before he had finished the lap, the IAAF had disqualified him and declared Chelimo the winner. Moroccan officials immediately appealed the ruling and, the next day, Skah was reinstated. On the victory podium two days later, the chorus of derision on the victory lap seemed mild compared to the abuse heaped on Skah.