In the Beijing half-marathon, three African runners have had their medals revoked after they allegedly slowed down to let a Chinese runner win. He Jie, the Chinese winner, had his victory overturned alongside the African competitors who finished joint second. The organizing committee stated that the Africans deliberately slowed down in the final kilometers, allowing He Jie to clinch the men's championship.
According to reports, the African athletes were serving as pacemakers to help He break the Chinese half-marathon record, but he fell short of the target. One of the Kenyan pacemakers expressed disappointment, stating that he was not there to compete but to assist He in achieving the record.
The Zhongao Lupao Beijing Sports Management company, in partnership with Xiamen Xtep Investment, issued apologies for the incident, accepting full responsibility and acknowledging the punishment decision by the organizing committee.
