National flag giving not in sporting spirit

Editor’s note: In a marathon in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, on Sunday, a volunteer rushed onto the course to try and hand a national flag to a Chinese runner as she was in the final stretch. This caused her to lose her stride and she was overtaken by an Ethiopian runner who won the race. China Youth Daily comments:

This is not the first time, marathon race volunteers have tried to thrust Chinese national flags into the hands of Chinese runners before they reach the finish line. The reason that it has become a sensation on this occasion is that this was the first time a Chinese runner was so close to winning an international marathon in recent years. In previous marathons, few Chinese runners found the flag handovers affected their final position, as they were far from being first.

Although it is hard to say the volunteer’s action, which is part of the organizer’s plan, has turned the runner’s gold medal to silver, her action impeded both the Chinese and the Ethiopian runners. The organizer apologized for the farce hours after the incident angered the public. But the organizer should have arranged for the flags to be handed to the runners after they crossed the finish line, and the national flags of other participants should also be offered at the same time.

Also, it is ridiculous for some to criticize the Chinese runner for being “unpatriotic” for throwing the national flag away. On the contrary, she strove to give her best in the race, which is most effective way she could honor her country. No marathon runner is obliged to hold their national flag while crossing the finish line, and the runners have every reason to try and ignore any external disturbances when competing in a race.

Hopefully, other marathon organizers in China will learn the lessons from Suzhou, and make their arrangements more professional.