Among those implicated in the Beijing Half Marathon race manipulation allegations are Kenyan racer Willy Mnangat, as well as pacesetters Robert Keter and Dejene Hailu.
They were paid to help He Jie of China win the event and shatter the Chinese half-marathon record of 1:02:33, according to Mnangat, who has denied the accusations.
One of the four individuals recruited to serve as pacesetters did not complete the race, as Mnangat disclosed.
According to Mnangat, his role was not to compete but rather to pace and assist Jie in winning the race.
In the face of their best attempts, Jie still managed to finish first, clocking in at 1 minute and 3 seconds.
Since Jie was Mnangat's buddy, he had already confessed to letting him win.
The three of them slowed down to presumably allow Jie to cross the finish line first, and a video of them waving to him and him crossing the finish line went viral across the world.
World Athletics places a premium on maintaining the honesty of the sport, and the Beijing organisers are looking into the allegations of race rigging.
Fans of 2023 Asian Games marathon winner Jie have voiced their disapproval, claiming that the claims will permanently stain his image and career.
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