Somalia Sprinter Goes Viral For Running Too Slow And Causing Scandal

A recent viral video has provided us with an answer to the question of how slow a runner must finish a race to create a scandal.

University World Games

The footage showed a Somali runner, who was significantly behind her competitors from the beginning of the 100m race. The runner finished approximately 10 seconds after the winner, in just over 21 seconds.

The incident caused uproar online, with many accusing the Somali government of nepotism and incompetence.

"It’s disheartening to witness such an incompetent government. How could they select an untrained girl to represent Somalia in running? It’s truly shocking and reflects poorly on our country internationally," said Elham Garaad, in one of the posts that was shared widely.

Dahir is accused of “abuse of power, nepotism, and defaming the name of the nation” in the international arena, the ministry said in a statement posted on social media. The ministry said the woman in the race is not a runner.

Issuing an Apology

The country's Ministry of Youth and Sports released a statement, apologizing for the incident and suspending Khadijo Aden Dahir, the chairwoman of the Somali Athletics Federation.

Dahir was accused of abusing her power, showing nepotism, and defaming the nation's name. The ministry clarified that the runner in question was not an athlete and that they were not aware of how she had been selected to compete in the event. There were rumors that the woman was related to Dahir, which led to her being given the chance to participate in the race.

The FISU World University Games is a biennial event that is exclusively for student-athletes. This year, it is being held in Chengdu, China.

The whole thing is reminiscent of John Belushi's Little Chocolate Donuts skit on SNL.

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