An investigation has been launched into the Beijing half marathon after leaders appeared to slow down to allow Chinese athlete He Jie to win the race.
Footage from Sunday’s event showed Kenyan runner Willy Mnangat looking towards Jie and pointing to the finish line before the Asian Games marathon gold medalist passed him, fellow Kenyan Robert Keter and Ethiopian Dejene Hailu Bikila.
The African trio had opened a gap of a few hundred meters on Jie and made no effort to regain the lead once their opponent passed.
Mnangat later admitted to the South China Morning Post that he let Jie win the race “because he is my friend.”
The event’s organizer, the Beijing Sports Competition Management and International Exchange Center, referred an investigation to the half-marathon organizing committee.
Kenyan runner Willy Mnangat could be seen looking towards Jie and pointing to the finish line before the Chinese athlete moved to the front.
The 25-year-old seemed to make progress and took the lead in the closing stages.
The Beijing Sports Bureau, the body in charge of sports, said an investigation was underway and the findings would be published later.
Jie, 25, a member of China’s marathon team, also holds the national marathon record. He won in a time of 1:03:44, ahead of Mnangat, Keter and Bikila, all tied for second place.
The incident has attracted attention on social media, with some calling the race an embarrassment.
Users on Chinese social media site Weibo have posted about the race, with one comment saying “this is undoubtedly the most embarrassing title of He Jie’s career.”