French athlete Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad has been stripped of his gold medal at the European Athletics Championships for removing his shirt and putting the garment in his mouth on the finishing straight.

The 29-year-old was disqualified from the 3,000 metre steeplechase, although it initally appeared as if he had only received a yellow card from an official.

The decision means his compatriot Yoann Kowal takes the gold medal, with Poland's Krystian Zalewski and Spain's Angel Mullera upgraded to silver and bronze respectively.

Mekhissi-Benabbad has been involved in controversy in the past.

In 2011, he was involved in an on-track fight with a team-mate after a 1,500 metre in Monaco, and in 2012 pushed a mascot after a gold medal performance at the World Championships.