SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
China’s sports integrity standards have been put under question after a suspicious finale at the Beijing Half Marathon drew criticism from the public.
He Jie, a Chinese marathon record holder, was the first runner to cross the marathon’s finish line by clocking in at 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 44 seconds.
A commendable time some might say, and they wouldn’t be wrong. What is strange however are the three African runners who appear to be ‘escorting’ He, as some media outlets have described it.
The live stream from the event which took place on 14 April shows Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat of Kenya, and Dejene Hailu Bikila from Ethiopia running side by side in the final moments of the race.
He, who joins as an Asian Games marathon gold medalist, is seen following closely but suddenly shifts into higher gear after what appears to be Mnangat gesturing to the Chinese runner to speed up and pointing him to the finish line.
At no point does any of the other three sprinters make an attempt to overtake He, which makes them look incredibly complacent in what has turned out to be a photo finish scrutinised by internet users across China and the rest of the world.
According to the organiser of the event, the Beijing Sports Competition Management and International Exchange Centre, an investigation has been launched into the matter.
Furthermore, Chinese sports brand Xstep, which was an event sponsor and has a contract in place with He, commented for Chinese state-owned media outlet The Paper: “The situation is still being confirmed and verified by multiple parties. Further information will be communicated as soon as possible.”
The debacle has naturally sparked allegations of match-fixing, which were addressed by World Athletics – the international governing body of athletics.
“We are aware of the footage circulating online from the Beijing Half Marathon and understand an investigation is currently being conducted by the relevant local authorities,” a spokesperson for World Athletics said.
“The integrity of our sport is the highest priority at World Athletics. While this investigation is ongoing we are unable to provide further comment.”
