アフリカ勢が中国選手に優勝譲る？ 北京ハーフマラソン調査へ

【北京ＡＦＰ＝時事】１４日に中国・北京で行われたハーフマラソン大会で、アフリカ出身選手３人が意図的に中国選手に優勝を譲るような走りを見せた。この場面がインターネットで広く拡散し、ＳＮＳで「恥ずかしい」という声も出る中、大会主催者が調査に乗り出している。（写真は陸上、男子マラソンの何傑）
　問題が起きたのはフィニッシュの直前、昨年の第１９回アジア競技大会の男子マラソンで金メダルを獲得した中国の何傑とケニア選手２人、エチオピア選手１人が争っていた中、アフリカ勢３人がゴール地点を指さし、手を振って何を先に行かせた後、スピードを落としたように見えた。
　結局レースは１秒差で何が優勝。４人はレース中、常に集団を形成して走っていたという。
　これについて、匿名を条件にＡＦＰの取材に応えた北京体育局の関係者は、「現在調査中で、結果は可能になり次第発表する」と話した。大会主催者も、調査を開始していることを発表した。
　中国のＳＮＳ、微博（ウェイボー）ではこの一件が大きな話題を呼んでおり、一部のユーザーが結果を非難。「何傑のキャリアで最も恥ずかしい優勝になるのは間違いない」と書き込んだユーザーもいた。
　中国では近年、中流階級の間でランニングがブームになっているが、不正や大会運営の不備が相次いでいる。２０１８年に南部深センで行われたハーフマラソン大会では、２５８人が近道を使うなどの不正をしていたことが発覚した。２０１９年の徐州国際マラソンでは、女性ランナーが緑色のシェアサイクル自転車を使う姿が映像にとらえられた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/04/15-20:35）

Beijing half marathon organisers said Monday they were investigating after footage shared widely online appeared to show three African runners deliberately allowing China's He Jie to win.
Video clips of Sunday's race showed the Kenyans Robert Keter and Willy Mnangat, Dejene Hailu of Ethiopia and home runner He approaching the finish.
The three African runners can be seen pointing to the finish line and apparently waving He out in front, while appearing to slow down.
He, the 2023 Asian Games marathon gold medallist, won by one second.
The four had stuck together throughout the course of just over 13 miles (21 kilometres), a broadcaster noted.
We are investigating and will announce the results to the public once they are available, a person from the Beijing Sports Bureau, who wished to remain anonymous, told AFP.
The event's organiser -- the Beijing Sports Competition Management and International Exchange Center -- also said an investigation had been launched.
The incident received significant attention on Chinese social media site Weibo, with some users criticising what they saw as an embarrassing result.
This will certainly be the most embarrassing championship in He Jie's career, one wrote.
With such a major organiser and such a well-known event, this really pushes sportsmanship to the ground in shame, the post said.
Track and field's international body said it was aware of the footage online and the investigation into it.
The integrity of our sport is the highest priority at World Athletics, while this investigation is ongoing we are unable to provide further comment, Director of Communications Jamie Fox told AFP.
Long-distance running has boomed in recent years among China's middle class, but there have been numerous instances of cheating and poor organisation.
In 2018, at a half-marathon in the southern city of Shenzhen, 258 runners were found to have cheated, including many who took shortcuts.
Traffic cameras caught them darting through trees to join a different part of the race.
In 2019, a woman was filmed riding a green rental bike in the Xuzhou International Marathon in eastern China.
She was ordered by race officials to dismount the bike, only to get back on again afterwards.