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Morceli bumped out of final

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SYDNEY, Sept 27 (AFP) - Nourredine Morceli was bumped out of the Olympic 1,500meters semi-final here on Wednesday when he was clipped and thrown off his stride.

Morceli pulled up 80 meters from the end and could only watch in despair as Noah Ngeny ran home to win the race.

"Obviously I was spiked," said Morceli, who announced it had been his last 1,500m race. "I am depressed as I did not come here just to run. I came expecting a medal."

"This was my last 1,500m ever. Next year I am going to go for the 5,000m and if that does not work out then I will retire," he said.

It was a bitter blow for the Algerian who has been plagued by health problems over the past 12 months.

It was only his second race since the world championships in Seville - the first being his first round race on Monday.

"I've had stomach problems, and a right hamstring problem and have only been able to train for seven weeks," he said after the first round.

But he was confident that he would at least finish on the podium.

Instead the former 1,500m world record holder was left thinking about what might have been.

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