Following a recent investigation, the top four finishers of the Beijing Half Marathon have been stripped of their medals due to allegations of race manipulation. The incident occurred during last Sunday's race, where Chinese runner He Jie claimed the gold medal and a $5,500 prize after three African runners deliberately slowed down near the finish line.
A video clip of the finish showed Kenya's Willy Mnangat gesturing for He to move ahead, while former 5km world record holder Robert Keter appeared to signal for his compatriot and Ethiopia's Dejene Hailu to hang back. This controversial tactic sparked outrage in China, leading to calls for an investigation.
