Weirdly, the the 27-year-old had just won the gold at the Finland-based European Chamionship in the 3000 metre steeplchase event – surely it was a time for celebration? Maybe he objected to the friendly smiling face of the cheeky mascot.
Scroll down to see the video…
Mekhissi-Benabbad rather cruelly rejected the gift bag from the girl’s hand by slapping it to the ground then, to add injury to insult, gave her a hefty shove, sending her stumbling backwards into the TV crew. She was slightly winded following the incident but otherwise okay.
The athlete has a history of getting mad with mascots – Le 10 Sport reported that he shoved a Barcelona mascot to the ground in 2010. The runner also got into a fight with fellow French competitor Mehdi Baala last year and was suspended for 10 months.
He’ll be one to watch at London 2012 – let’s hope Mekhissi-Benabbad doesn’t take a disliking to our weird cyclops alien mascots Wenlock and Mandeville.
