Chinese runner He Jie, Ethiopian Dejene Hailu Bikila and Kenyans Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat Penalised for Sham Half-marathon Show  in Beijing

In a perplexing turn of events, Chinese running sensation He Jie has been stripped of his gold medal from the recent Beijing half marathon amid a cloud of controversy.

During the race, He Jie found himself in the company of fellow competitors Robert Keter, Willy Mnangat, and Dejene Hailu as they neared the finish line. Despite initially trailing behind, He surged ahead and crossed the finish line first, clocking in at 1:03:44.

The African runners involved re from Kenya and Ethiopia.

However, the victory was marred by footage capturing the closing moments, where He’s rivals seemed to be actively assisting him, prompting widespread criticism and speculation. Mnangat even clarified that his role was to act as a pacemaker to aid He in achieving a national record, not to compete directly.

The Beijing Sports Bureau swiftly launched an investigation into the incident, leading to the disqualification of all four runners involved. Consequently, the top three finishers were mandated to relinquish their medals and prize money.

In an official statement, the Beijing Half Marathon Organising Committee expressed regret for the oversight, vowing to rectify the situation and apologize to the global community for the lapse in judgment.