Organisers of the Beijing half marathon are investigating allegations that three African athletes deliberately allowed China’s star runner He Jie to win Sunday’s race.
The event generated questions and suspicions due to unruly comments speculating from the players and spectators. The track and field competition became controversial after Chinese athlete He Jie was declared victorious despite accusations from other competitors. After the 13.1-mile race, conversations erupted on Chinese social media, which led to an official inquiry.
Rumors were circulating that one of the other competitors acknowledged allowing He Jie to win out of camaraderie. The moment Kenyan competitors Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat, Ethiopian Dejene Hailu, and local runner He Jie reached the finish line was captured on camera during the race, adding more fire to the existing controversy about the race’s true story.
Marathon cheats
The last kilometers of the Beijing half-marathon transpired with much mystery. The two Kenyan runners and one Ethiopian, and 25-year-old Chinese athlete He Jie—who had won the marathon gold at the 2023 Asian Games—were among leading. These four competitors were said to have kept a tight pace the whole race, appearing to coordinate from the start.
Spectators saw a turning point as the race was coming to a close. He Jie fell behind his colleagues from East Africa. Perceiving the change in circumstances, the Ethiopian and Kenyan runners, as well as their Chinese rival, seemed to slow down, giving him a tiny advantage. With a tiny one-second margin of victory, this quiet yet powerful gesture helped him cross the finish line.
Sports commentators were aware of the runners’ coordinated effort and noted that the four of them worked well together throughout the race. The Beijing Half Marathon aftermath has drawn a great deal of attention and reproach, with state-run news agency China Daily denouncing the event as a “mockery” of sports integrity.
He Jie’s goals to compete in the Olympics in Paris are unaffected by the scandal, but the fiasco has damaged China’s reputation for sportsmanship.
Cover Photo: IG
Source: Essentially Sports