Video of the race appeared to show three African runners slowing down to let home athlete He Jie finish first, confusing Chinese viewers.
Organizers of the Beijing Half Marathon said they were investigating Monday after video of the race appeared to show three African runners slowing down near the finish line so that a Chinese athlete could win.
He Jie, a member of China’s marathon team and a national record holder in the full marathon, had run the entire 13.1-mile race on Sunday with the three African runners. As they approached the finish line, at least one of the runners appeared to wave him ahead.
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The Beijing Sports Bureau, the municipal body in charge of sports, told NBC News that the incident had its “utmost attention” and that the results of its investigation would be “promptly disclosed to the public.”
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Long-distance running is an increasingly popular sport in China, particularly among the middle class, but cheating has been an issue. In 2018, organizers of the Shenzhen Half Marathon said that 258 participants had been caught cheating, including by wearing fake bibs and taking shortcuts.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
HONG KONG — Organizers of the Beijing Half Marathon said they were investigating Monday after video of the race appeared to show three African runners slowing down near the finish line so that a Chinese athlete could win.
He finished with a time of 1:03:44, while the other three runners — Dejene Hailu Bikila of Ethiopia and Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat of Kenya — tied for second at 1:03:45.
Mark Dreyer, author of the book “Sporting Superpower: An Insider’s View on China’s Quest to Be the Best,” said the situation was “extremely odd.”
“It would be more entertaining if the three people carried a sedan to send He Jie to the finish line,” another comment read.
He, 25, who is aiming for the Paris Olympics this summer, set a national record of 2:06:57 at a marathon last month in Wuxi, China.
In 2018, organizers of the Shenzhen Half Marathon said that 258 participants had been caught cheating, including by wearing fake bibs and taking shortcuts.
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