LAUSANNE, July 6: Four-time world 1,500 metre champion Hicham El Guerrouj may miss the Olympics unless a mystery breathing problem is cured, he said on Tuesday.
The 29-year-old Moroccan suffered his first defeat since coming second in the 2000 Olympics when Bahrain's Rashid Ramzi beat him in Rome last Friday.
Double Olympic silver medallist El Guerrouj, the 1,500 metre world record holder, said he would decide whether to compete in Athens after the Zurich Golden League meeting on Aug 6.
"I'm very worried about going to the Olympics or not," El Guerrouj told reporters ahead of the Lausanne Super Prix where he will attempt to return to winning form later on Tuesday.
"I'll make my final decision on Aug 6 in Zurich. I've been dominating for nine years but if I don't have a good world ranking position at the time I might not go to Athens."
The Olympics are from Aug 13-29. El Guerrouj is taking daily medication to cure the breathing problem and is struggling to keep to his full training programme. "The problem isn't solved yet," he said. "I have to take medicine every day which makes me feel tired.
I am still training but I have difficulties in breathing after training." He added: "My problems came out on January 16 and after talking about it with my coach I went to Toulouse to a specialist doctor. He discovered about 10 allergies and put me on a three-month treatment.
"I'm still taking the medication but as I said I feel tired. The medication stops it but doesn't cure it. I don't feel too bad now, but I just can't stop the treatment." Before his defeat by Ramzi in Rome, El Guerrouj had recorded a 29-race unbeaten run. -Reuters
