Sun Yuanyuan crossed the Berlin Marathon finish line and celebrated in style. However, an internet user exposed her lie.
She was 30 years old, the clock read 4 hours, 53 minutes and 46 seconds, and a medal hung around her neck. For Abeeerr, the Chinese fitness influencer, it was her personal best.
But an account dedicated to tracking the times of runners and influencers posted a photo that changed everything: Sun appears sitting on the back of a bicycle being ridden by someone else.
According to the account and the media outlets that followed the case, it happened around km 38. What’s more, the chart of her split times showed that her fastest stretch was precisely between km 35 and 40.
The organizers annulled her result and removed her from the standings. Her sponsor, Brooks China, canceled her contract immediately.
She apologized to her 520,000 followers: she said she had felt physically unwell during the race, but that did not justify what she did.