Controversy erupts over bib swaps at Standard Chartered marathon

A sports scholar has sharply criticized the bib swaps that occurred during the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon on Sunday, labeling them as "mistakes that even primary school track meets wouldn't make." 

This criticism follows the disqualification of three mainland runners -- He Yingbing and Sun Xiaoyang in the half-marathon, and Lan Jiehuai in the men's 10-kilometer race -- who were found wearing incorrect bib numbers.

Patrick Lau Wing-chung, chair of the Department of Sport, Physical Education, and Health at Baptist University, said that intentional violations by runners should lead to strict penalties. 

He added that such incidents have previously been reported in mainland events, where athletes sought to enhance their scores or influencers aimed to boost their visibility.

Lau urged the Hong Kong, China Association of Athletics Affiliates to clearly state that tampering with bib numbers is unacceptable in international events held in the city. 

He also said that while the runners might have received incorrect bib numbers from their agent, they bear responsibility for ensuring the accuracy of those numbers.

The incident came to light only after the awards ceremony, highlighting that such errors are uncommon in local events. 

Lau proposed implementing facial recognition technology at the marathon’s starting point to verify runners’ identities and deter future violations.

Lawmaker Benson Luk Hon-man, who also participated in the marathon, noted that such errors are rare in local events. 

"The bibs definitely have the runners' names on them; wearing the correct bib is the runner's responsibility. It's particularly puzzling that the involved runners are elite athletes," he said. 

Luk suggested the association consider adopting facial recognition systems used in marathons in places like Shanghai to enhance the credibility of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon.

(Marcus Lum)