Beijing Half Marathon organisers in China have launched an investigation into possible race fixing after two Kenyans and an Ethiopian national allegedly let China’s He Jie win the marathon on Sunday, April 14.
The officials were forced to issue the statement after a clip emerged showing the three athletes deliberately slowing down to let He Jie win.
The Chinese national who is the 2023 Asian Games marathon gold medallist went on to win the race.
Clips showed him celebrating frantically after winning the race by one second despite the visible advantage he was accorded by his colleagues.
In what appeared to be a predetermined result, the two Kenyans and the Ethiopian national hugged He Jie and congratulated him after the deliberate slowdown towards the finish line.
At one point, they had frantically waved him to overtake them as they headed towards the finish line.
"We are investigating and will announce the results to the public once they are available," the organisers were quoted as saying.
According to World Athletics, one of the Kenyans who deliberately sidestepped to let He Jie win is represented by a Chinese agent.
He Jie faced criticism from his fans who noted that the win could taint his athletics career.
One sports commentator remarked that the obvious explanation was race fees the Africans were guaranteed and/or a bonus offered for letting local runner win.
Incidentally, Chinese media celebrated He Jie’s win without mentioning the help he got from the three athletes.
While long-distance running competition is gaining popularity in mainland China, cases of athletes cheating have been tainting the sport.
