Beijing Half Marathon champion has medal taken away after other runners slowed down to let him win

BANGKOK (AP) — Organizers have revoked He Jie’s first place in the Beijing Half Marathon last weekend after an investigation confirmed that three other runners had slowed down to let him win the race.

All four runners were disqualified and had to return their medals and award money.

Chinese online users had shared the video from the final moment s of Sunday’s race out of suspicion that it had been rigged. The footage showed three African runners letting He, China’s top long-distance runner, move ahead of them shortly before they were about to reach the finish line.

The three runners deliberately reduced their pace, according to a statement from a committee set up to investigate the race.

The special committee said that four runners had originally been hired as pacemakers by a sponsor but that the main organizers of the race had not known this. One of the pacemakers didn’t finish the race.