VIDEO: French Runner Shoves Mascot

Monday, 02 July 2012 | by Pat's Picks

Not quite the Olympic Spirit. I’m sure Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad is regretting his post-victory move at the European Athletic Championships. Instead of a celebratory lap, the French runner shoved a 14-year-old girl, who was dressed as a mascot and trying to hand him a t-shirt. Unfortunately for him, the entire thing was caught on tape. The Sydney Morning Herald, where I first say the video, says this isn’t the first mascot altercation for the 27-year-old athlete. After winning a race in Barcelona in 2010, he asked a “mascot to kneel in front of him before he pushed it to the ground.” Check out the shove below or click through to the SMH story for more.