In-Depth Investigation Reveals Kenyan Athletes Intentionally Allowing Chinese Competitors to Win Traces Back to 2019

 In a hurry? Here’s a quick summary…

• Investigation into the Beijing Half Marathon suggests a Chinese agent may have manipulated Kenyan athletes to fix races since 2019, with videos emerging of Kenyan runners deliberately slowing down before the finish line.

• Kenyan athletes, represented by a single agent based in Mainland China, have been implicated in instances where they allegedly allowed Chinese competitors to win, prompting suspicions of race-fixing and exploitation within the professional athletics sphere.

China’s He Jie wins the Beijing Half Marathon on April 14, 2024, ahead of Kenyans Willy Mnangat and Robert Keter, and Ethiopia’s Dejene Hailu Bikila.

An in-depth investigation into the Beijing Half Marathon has uncovered suspicions of race-fixing involving Kenyan athletes allegedly manipulated by a Chinese agent since 2019. 

Concerns were raised following the emergence of videos depicting Kenyan runners deliberately slowing down moments before the finish line. 

Notably, all the athletes implicated in these incidents are represented by a single agent based in Mainland China.

The investigation gained momentum after Willy Mnangat and Robert Keter, two Kenyan athletes, seemingly allowed Chinese competitor He Jie to secure victory in the half marathon held on Sunday, April 14.

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This event echoed a similar occurrence in 2019, where Kenyan runners Silas Kimeli Too and Daniel Kiprop appeared to intentionally yield their positions to China's Liu Hongliang towards the end of the race.

Suspicion was further heightened by a signaling gesture made by Liu shortly after overtaking Too and Kiprop, followed by the Kenyan athletes maintaining a consistent distance behind him until the finish, allowing Liu to clinch victory with a narrow margin.

These alleged instances of race-fixing have enabled Chinese competitors to claim gold medals, despite failing to do so in previous years. 

Contrary to initial claims that Kenyan athletes participated as pacemakers, they were found wearing race bibs and their attire during both the 2019 and 2024 incidents, suggesting a deviation from the typical role of pacers who do not wear race bibs.

Additionally, despite their involvement in pacing, the Kenyan athletes were awarded silver and bronze medals, contradicting the usual protocol for pacemakers. 

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This has led to speculation that the Chinese agent may be exploiting the athletes' lack of awareness by compensating them as pacers while retaining the prize money for themselves. 

The situation underscores the complexities and potential exploitation within the world of professional athletics.