Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad of France crosses the finish line with his vest in his hand, to win the men's 3000 metres steeplechase final during the European Athletics Championships at the Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich August 14, 2014.  France’s Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad was on Thursday night dramatically disqualified as winner of the 3,000 metres steeplechase, after an astonishing climax to the race in which he had ripped off his shirt, goading the crowd by waving it around and clutching it in his teeth. Approaching the final barrier, the Frenchman had the race and gold medal in the bag, having enough time in hand to showboat by stripping off his running vest before putting it into his mouth and waving to the crowd. He was assailed by boos inside the Letzigrund Stadium for his gesture of disrespect and originally received a “yellow-card” warning, only for the punishment to be upgraded to an official disqualification after a protest by the Spanish team on behalf of Ángel Mullera, who had finished fourth but was subsequently moved up to bronze. Mekhissi-Benabbad's compatriot Yoann Kowal, who had moved from fourth to second in the final 200 metres, took gold instead, ahead of Krystian Zalewski (Poland) and Spain’s Angel Mullera. After winning his 2012 Euro gold in Helsinki he was criticized for shoving a mascot who offered him a gift. Read: Bolt provides golden finale to Commonwealth Games 
 
 He was initially shown a yellow card as a warning by an official, but an appeal by Spain on behalf of fourth placed athlete Angel Mullera led to his disqualification. Today I will enjoy my victory and we have to see how this evening will finish.” 
 
 Kowal said: “What Mahiedine did with his vest was not disturbing or anything, nothing important.” 
 
 Mekhissi-Benabbad has been involved in controversy in the past and was once suspended along with team mate Mehdi Baala after they traded blows following the 1,500 metres at a Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
– Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad has shown the world how you can be top of your game and still be a loser: As he approached the finish line in the 3,000m steeplechase at the European championships in Zurich, the French runner stripped off his vest, jammed it in his mouth, and waved to the crowd in a display of showboating that caused authorities to decide to strip him of his medal, reports CNN. The 29-year-old received a warning at first but authorities decided to take away the gold—technically because his runner's bib was not visible—after Spain appealed on behalf of the fourth-placed athlete. "When I took off my vest on the last meters, it was because of my joy, of course," the Frenchman said, as per Reuters, before he was stripped of what would have been his third consecutive gold in the event. "It was the pleasure of winning. I was so happy to defend my title." This is far from the first controversy involving Mekhissi-Benabbad, the Telegraph finds. He shoved a 14-year-old girl mascot to the ground at the European finals in 2012, pushed another mascot at the previous finals in Barcelona, and was suspended after fighting a teammate on the track at a 2011 event in Monaco.