Organizers of the Beijing half marathon are looking into allegations that three African athletes intentionally allowed China’s He Jie to win the race on Sunday.
Video footage appeared to show Kenya’s Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat, as well as Ethiopia’s Dejene Hailu, indicating the finish line and slowing down before letting He pass.
While the result received criticism on social media, Mnangat told the BBC that the trio were acting as pacemakers.
The Kenyan explained that four runners had been hired to help He break the Chinese half-marathon record of 1 hour, 2 minutes, and 33 seconds, with one of them not completing the race.
He fell short of the record with a time of 1:03:44, just one second ahead of the trio who finished in a tie for second place.
“I was not there to compete,” Mnangat stated.
“It was not a competitive race for me.
“I don’t know why they labeled my bib/chest number with my name instead of identifying me as a pacemaker.
“My role was to set the pace and assist the runner in winning, but unfortunately, he did not achieve the goal of breaking the national record.”
A representative from the Beijing Sports Bureau informed AFP that they were investigating the incident.
“We will share the findings with the public once they are available,” they added.
Xstep, a Chinese sports brand sponsoring the event and having a contract with He, told The Paper, a Chinese state-owned publication: “The situation is still under review and verification by multiple parties. Further updates will be provided soon.”
None of the other runners involved have made any statements regarding the incident.
He Jie secured gold in the marathon at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou and holds the national record for the full marathon in China.
A statement from World Athletics emphasized that the integrity of the sport is their top priority.
“We are aware of the footage circulating online from the Beijing half marathon this past weekend and understand that a local investigation is ongoing,” the statement read.
“Maintaining the integrity of our sport is paramount at World Athletics. While the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to provide further comment.”
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