Organizers of the Beijing half marathon are investigating allegations that three African athletes deliberately allowed Chinese star runner He Jie to win Sunday’s race.
Footage appeared to show Kenya’s Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat and Ethiopia’s Dejene Hailu signaling the line and slowing down before waving He through.
While the result was widely criticized on social media, Mnangat told the BBC that the trio ran like pacemakers.
The Kenyan said they had hired four runners to help him break the Chinese half marathon record of 1 hour, 2 minutes and 33 seconds and that one of them did not finish the race.
He missed the record with a time of 1:03:44, one second ahead of the trio, who tied for second place.
“I wasn’t there to compete,” Mnangat said.
“For me it was not a competitive race.
“I don’t know why they put my name on my bib/chest number instead of labeling it as a pacemaker.
“My job was to set the pace and help the guy win, but unfortunately he didn’t achieve the goal, which was to beat the national record.”
A spokesman for the Beijing Sports Bureau told AFP they were investigating the incident.
“We will announce the results to the public once they are available,” they said.
Xstep, a Chinese sports brand that sponsored the event and has a contract with He, told Chinese state newspaper The Paper: “The situation is still being confirmed and verified by multiple parties. More information will be communicated as soon as possible.”
None of the other riders have commented on the incident.
The Chinese won gold in the marathon at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and is the holder of her country’s record in the full marathon.
A statement from World Athletics said the integrity of the sport was its top priority.
“We are aware of images circulating online of the Beijing Half Marathon this weekend and understand that an investigation is being carried out by relevant local authorities,” the statement said.
“The integrity of our sport is the top priority at World Athletics, while this investigation is ongoing we are unable to provide further comment.”
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