Organizers of the Beijing half marathon have launched an investigation after Sunday’s controversial victory by a Chinese athlete who appears in footage to have received deliberate support from three other runners to win. Videos of the race show He Jie, 25, being left behind as he approached the finish line by Kenyans Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat, as well as Ethiopian Dejene Hailu. But the latter seem to slow down and signal the Chinese athlete to go ahead.
He Jie, marathon gold medalist at the 2023 Asian Games, ultimately won the race by one second. “We are investigating and we will announce the conclusion to the public when it is known,” a Beijing city official in charge of sports told AFP on Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Already several incidents
A spokesperson for the international athletics federation, World Athletics, indicated in an email sent to AFP that he was “aware” of the controversy and “that an investigation (was) currently being carried out by the competent local authorities”. “The integrity of our sport is World Athletics’ highest priority. As the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to comment further on this matter, said Jamie Fox.
He Jie’s controversial victory sparked an uproar on the Chinese internet. Several sporting events in China have been marred by cheating in recent years. In 2019, a participant in the Xuzhou international marathon (eastern China) was seen and filmed on… a bicycle. That same year, a Chinese orienteering team was disqualified for “cheating” during the Military Games.
