On April 14th, a netizen referred to it as the “darkest day in the history of Chinese marathons,” a day that will be forever remembered as a shameful episode in the annals of Chinese sports!
The half marathon held in Beijing that day was the talk of the town.
But why all the buzz? It wasn’t because of the race’s quality, but rather due to the bizarre scene that unfolded where three African runners seemingly “escorted” Chinese runner He Jie to victory. What was supposed to be a legitimate competition turned into a farce, a spectacle that was not only laughable but also pitiful.
In the final sprint of the Beijing half marathon, Chinese marathon star He Jie was neck and neck with three African runners. However, at around 200 meters before the finish line, the African runners noticeably slowed their pace.
From the video footage on-site, it was evident that while He Jie was pushing through with determination, the three African runners beside him remained calm and composed. One of the African runners even made a gesture, signalling the other two runners not to overtake He Jie, accompanying it with a clear deceleration. Prior to the sprint, the African runner even waved to signal He Jie to quickly switch lanes for the sprint.
This significant scene left even the live commentators on China Central Television (CCTV) baffled.
Commentator 1: “These four are running side by side.”
Commentator 2: “Yes, neck and neck.”
Commentator 1: “Our specially invited foreign athletes, are they communicating with He Jie?”
Commentator 2: “It seems like they are also cheering He Jie on?”
Commentator 1: “Yes, that’s right.”
Commentator 1: “We can see that these four have great understanding between them.”
Commentator 2: “Yes, throughout the whole course today, these four have been sticking together.”
Commentator 1: “Indeed, there is communication and interaction.”
Commentator 2: “Could this also be a form of mutual encouragement among athletes?”
Commentator 1: “Exactly, it’s a positive form of encouragement.”
Evidently, the four individuals stayed together throughout the race, communicating and interacting, with someone even cheering He Jie on. This level of coordination goes beyond mere coincidence.
In the end, He Jie crossed the finish line first. The three African runners followed shortly after, with just a one-second difference.
According to media reports, one of the African runners had a half marathon time of around 61 minutes, while He Jie finished in 63 minutes and 44 seconds this time, indicating a significant gap of two minutes.
Considering the historical records and the live video footage, the three African runners clearly held back their pace and even stopped just before the sprint!
The entire process blatantly revealed that He Jie was pre-arranged to win, while the three African runners were merely accompanying him.
Manipulating the outcome of a competition, playing with the integrity of sports, is akin to a football match where the striker moves towards the goal, and the opponents’ defenders stop competing, halting their steps, with the goalkeeper not making an effort to save – allowing the forward to score into an empty net. It’s unequivocally cheating.
What’s even more surprising is that such an unsightly incident occurred in China’s capital, with CCTV broadcasting it to the world, displaying the audacity to such an extent.
A self-media author sarcastically remarked that these African runners need to work on their acting skills; couldn’t they have slowed down before the first 500 meters? Wouldn’t that make it less obvious they were holding back? And as for those gestures, it’s still an athletic competition, not a performance. The attitude of “you go first” was clearly evident.
Of course, the biggest failure lies with the “director” behind this staged show. Couldn’t the director find better actors? When staging a performance, it should be flawless! This time, they’ve botched it! Now everyone is laughing at the spectacle! Beijing’s half marathon has turned into a companion marathon, the main act being companionship, with the champion being “escorted” to the finish line – a laughable situation indeed.
For over 70 years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has governed through deception, turning China into the world’s top fake producer. Even the sports sector has not been spared. In recent decades, various instances of deception like biased referees, match-fixing, age fraud, result manipulation, referee bias, etc., have been rampant in the Chinese sports arena. Now, a “companion marathon” emerges from the marathon race, truly setting a new standard on the landscape of deception in Chinese sports.
Editor: Jinyue