Early celebration costs Chinese runner the victory in a half-marathon event

CHONGQING, CHINA: Xiao Fen, a Chinese half-marathoner, had an embarrassing defeat after celebrating her victory early on, which led to her losing the first-place title. 

The athlete was leading the race at the Women’s Half Marathon in Chongqing, located in southwest China. Xiao raised her arms confidently to express her victory and eventually slowed her pace. However, one of her opponents, Gan Zhifang, took advantage of this moment, speeding past her at the last second to be in first place. 

With this dramatic twist, footage of Xiao’s embarrassing loss went viral on Chinese social media sites, and the athlete expressed that she was disappointed with the outcome of the race. 

She said to VnExpress: “I was really careless near the finish line and then relaxed too soon. Alas, keep trying; I can run better next time.” 

Xiao admitted that she shouldn’t have let her guard down despite leading the race. She also remarked that the experience taught her an important lesson and promised never to make the same mistake again. Despite being second, she remained positive and declared that she was pleased with her performance as she had set a personal best in the race. 

With the videos circulating online, netizens also shared their opinions on the subject matter. 

One netizen said, “I think this girl has almost reached her limit. She was very weak near the end, while the opponent behind her accelerated very strongly. If she was careful and tried hard, I think this situation is 50/50.”

Another netizen reacted: “At the end, Fen was exhausted, while the person behind was still full of energy. Only a few meters until the limit, Fen would still be overtaken whether she celebrated early or not.” 

One more netizen jokes, “Then you should wear glasses with a rearview mirror added. Hihi” 

Truly, Xiao’s early celebration marked a moment to remember for everyone and all for the wrong reasons.