Sports

Three African athletes under investigation for allegedly fixing Beijing Half Marathon to favor Chinese runner

Published

7 months ago

April 15, 2024

Three African marathon runners, Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat both from Kenya, and Dejene Hailu from Ethiopia, are under investigation after they were accused of fixing the Beijing Half Marathon race by deliberately allowing a Chinese athlete, He Jie, to win.

The incident which occurred on Sunday at the 13-mile run and captured on video, saw the African runners who were all in the lead deliberately making way for He Jie, a member of China’s marathon team and national marathon record holder, at the finish line.

The 25-year-old Chinese runner won the half-marathon in a time of 1:03:44, just one second ahead of the trio after all four had run together for the entire race.

After the video went viral, the
Beijing Half Marathon organisers, the Beijing Sports Competition Management and International Exchange Centre, released a statement saying the incident is being investigated.

Mnangat who seemingly admitted the fraud, later told the South China Morning Post he let He Jie win “because he is my friend,” but however added he was not given any financial reward for doing so.

The South China Morning Post which reported the incident in a write up on Monday, said that in the controversial video, the three athletes can be seen gesturing towards the finish line and apparently slowing their pace to let He, the 2023 Asian Games marathon gold medalist, take the lead and ultimately win the race by a narrow one-second margin in a gesture that seemed orchestrated.

The Beijing Sports Bureau has also confirmed that an investigation was underway.

“We are taking this matter very seriously and will communicate the findings to the public once the investigation is complete,” an official from the Bureau stated in a statement.

This incident has however, sparked a significant backlash on Weibo, China’s leading social media platform, where users expressed disappointment and frustration.

“This will certainly be the most embarrassing championship in He Jie’s career,” one user posted, while another user said “with such a major organizer and such a well-known event, this really pushes sportsmanship to the ground in shame.”

Click to comment

Sports

Kenyan court jails killers of Ugandan Olympian Kiplagat for 35 years

Published

9 hours ago

November 5, 2024

Isaac Dachen

A Kenyan court sitting in Nairobi on Tuesday sentenced two men, Peter Ushuru Khalumi, 30, and David Ekai Lokere, 25, to 35 years in prison each for the murder of Ugandan Olympic athlete, Benjamin Kiplagat, who was stabbed to death last year.

Khalumi and Lokere were both found guilty by Justice Reuben Nyakundi of the Kenyan High Court in the northwestern city of Eldoret for stabbing the 34-year-old steeplechaser to death.

In his ruling, Nyakundi said overwhelming evidence from CCTV cameras showed the pair intentionally killed the athlete, adding that they had not shown any remorse for the pre-meditated crime and deserved a harsh sentence.

“Your actions were cruel to a defenceless person whose life you cut short contrary to God’s plan, where God intended man to live for a minimum of 70 years,” Nyakundi said while announcing the 35-year sentence for each defendant.

The judge however, rejected a plea from Kiplagat’s mother, Elizabeth Chemweno, and his two brothers who wanted Khalumi and Lokere to be given life sentences.

The two convicts were arrested a day after the athlete’s body was found in his car on the outskirts of Eldoret on New Year’s Eve with a deep wound to his neck in a murder that shocked the country and Africa in general.

Kiplagat who was born in the Eldoret region in Kenya, had an illustrious career spanning almost two decades, and had represented Uganda internationally in the 3,000m steeplechase, including at several Olympic Games and World Championships.

He won the silver medal in the 3,000m steeplechase at the 2008 World Junior Championships and bronze at the African Championships in 2012 and made the semi-finals of the event at the 2012 Olympics in London and also competed in Rio in 2016.

Sports

Chepkirui leads Kenya to podium sweep at New York City Marathon

Published

1 day ago

November 4, 2024

Isaac Dachen

Kenya had a clean sweep of the podium at the 2024 New York City Marathon on Sunday as Sheila Chepkirui clinched victory in the race, clocking 2:24:35, with the defending champion, Hellen Obiri, securing second place, while Vivian Cheruiyot finished third.

In just her fourth marathon, Chepkirui ran a ferocious last half mile to win the race ahead of Obiri, the 2024 Olympic bronze medalist.

Chepkirui, 33, came into the race with the fastest personal best in the field, 2:17:29, which she ran at the 2022 Valencia Marathon though this is her her first win at a world marathon major.

Speaking in the post-race press conference the race, she said:

“Winning means a lot to me. It means my training has been going well, and I’m really happy for the win.

“The last turn was really tough. I was still with Hellen. I told myself I had to push up at the finish line.

“In the last mile, it was really hard. I pushed myself. I’m so happy. I pushed myself to the limit.”

This Kenyan dominance underscores the nation’s strength in long-distance running, particularly in major marathon events.

The 2024 New York City Marathon featured a competitive field, but the Kenyan athletes’ performances stood out, reaffirming their status as leading figures in women’s marathon running.