Chinese athletes caught cheating at China's Military World Games

Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Chinese runners competing in the China-hosted Military World Games were disqualified after they were accused of cheating.

Chinese athletes who had landed first, second and fourth places in the women's middle-distance orienteering competition, and a second-place athlete in the men's category were found to have been assisted by local spectators, CNN reported Friday.

"The [International Orienteering Federation] takes the actions of the Chinese team very seriously," said Tom Hollowell, IOF secretary general.

Hollowell said the IOF would be "investigating if any further actions need to be taken to guarantee the fairness of competition at the upcoming World Cup final in Guangzhou, China from Oct. 25."

The Chinese runners fell under scrutiny following complaints from six European countries, including Russia and France, according to the report.

Competing teams noticed the first-place winner in the women's category was 17 percent faster than the next non-Chinese competitor, higher than the typical 5 percent improvement on second tries, Taiwan News reported.

The assistance the Chinese runners received from the audience included "markings and small paths prepared for them and which only they were aware of," the IOF said, according to the report.

The Chinese team has since been barred from competing at the Games' long-distance competition.

The team was disqualified on Sunday.