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Tommy Fury courted controversy last weekend when he was accused of lying about completing a 100km triathlon in France.
Fury took to social media to declare he had 'left it all' out there after his achievement, which came despite having had just 10 days of training. He was later seen celebrating with partner Molly-May Hague, who also expressed her pride in him.
However, it was reported on Wednesday that there was a discrepancy. An article by Marathon Investigation declared Fury did not actually finish the event, pointing to his bike splits, which showed he was not logged beyond the 48km point. These splits were recorded every 6km along the route.
In fact, searching for Fury's official time on the Sportstats website will reveal a large DNF next to his name, making him one of 93 athletes not to have completed the route.
Further investigation from tri247.com found that road closures had been shortened because the bike course for the amateurs had been changed since the event was first announced. The amateur groups were tasked with six laps of around 13km.
It then became apparent on the day that some amateurs, not just including Fury, were not going to be able to finish the bike route before the roads were reopened, although he still did the 18km run that concluded the event.
Tommy Fury courted controversy when he was accused of lying about doing a 100km triathlon
Fury shared his achievement but there were questions whether he completed the full course
In a statement, the Professional Triathletes Organisation said: 'Due to our permit for the road closures in France, unfortunately Tommy and some other athletes in the 100km amateur race were unable to complete the bike course before the cut-off time.
'However, given our philosophy to grow the sport and encourage new athletes, we wanted to give them as full an experience as possible.
'So they were all given the opportunity to do the 18km run and cross the finish line.'
As a result, given the discrepancies, the former Love Island star subsequently received a backlash from fans on social media for not being more truthful.
So, in light of the controversy surrounding Fury's triathlon, Daily Mail Sport has taken a look at some other instances where athletes have been accused of cheating during events.
Joasia Zakrzewski's - 2023
Joasia Zakrzewski has an impressive track record as a top ultra-marathon runner but she made a huge mistake two years ago when taking part in the GB Ultras Manchester to Liverpool event.
Zakrzewski finished third in the 50-mile competition but was later disqualified, with the race director saying this was because she 'took vehicle transport during part of the route'.
It turns out data on the app Strava had raised alarm with regards to her speed during a 2.5 mile stretch of the race.
Having got out of the vehicle, Zakrzewski then continued to complete the race, taking home third place before she accepted a trophy, something she said was a 'massive error'.
Zakrzewski, who explained how she got in a friend's car due to pain in her legs, made a public apology and claimed her actions were as a result of a miscommunication, insisting they were 'not malicious'.
Joasia Zakrzewski got a lift in a car for part of an event before claiming a third place finish
The Motsoeneng brothers - 1999
One of the more bizarre examples of cheating came when Sergio and Arnold Motsoeneng colluded during the 1999 Comrades marathon in South Africa.
The brothers were accused of competing as each other and also of switching places during the race on one entry ticket.
An investigation found out about the foul play because despite their likeness, photographs showed the pair running with a watch on different wrists while one had scars on his shin.
Photos published in Beeld, Johannesburg's daily newspaper at the time, highlighted at one point how runner number 13018 - their designated position in the race - had a yellow watch on his left wrist before a later shot saw the supposed same athlete with a pink watch on his right wrist.
They admitted defeat in their battle, with their lawyer saying at the time how the brothers were desperate for prize money given it was much larger than their father's annual salary.
Sergio and Arnold twice swapped clothes in portable toilets on the course, and the brothers told Business Insider in 2022 that they had mapped out a good point at which they could change, something that proved to be around the halfway point of the race.
Although they did later return the trophy after being found guilty, a race official revealed the prize money, which was believed to be the equivalent of around £600, had already been spent.
Sergio and Arnold Motsoeneng colluded during the 1999 Comrades marathon in South Africa
Rob Sloan - 2011
Rob Sloan was guilty of another transport-induced blunder in this list of misdemeanours when he was accused of travelling some of the Kielder Marathon in Northumberland on public transport.
There were claims he jumped on a bus around five miles from the finish line, before getting off and completing the last part of the race to finish third.
Sloan was disqualified yet he remained adamant that these allegations were false as he told The BBC: 'I'm upset and angry that someone wants to cast these aspersions. It's laughable is what it is, where they've come from I don't know.'
However, race organisers later revealed Sloan admitted to cheating and apologised after he was spotted by witnesses having got on and off the bus.
A statement at the time said: 'Rob Sloan had apparently made the decision to withdraw from the race at approximately 20 miles due to fatigue.
'After returning to the Leaplish Park area he decided to run the closing section of the course and crossed the finish line in third place.
'This was rightly questioned by several witnesses including the rightful third place finisher Steven Cairns of Peebles, Scotland who has been awarded his prize.'
Off-duty police officer in Dublin - 2022
If there's a moral to any of these stories, getting on public transport during a marathon doesn't prevent you from getting caught.
This was the case again during the Dublin marathon in 2022 when an unnamed police officer, who was off-duty, aroused suspicion when his times at the beginning and the end of the race were markedly different.
It was reported how he was running at a speed of around 10-minutes per mile during the first half of the race, before this was upped to six minutes per mile after that.
It turns out the individual had travelled much of the race on the city's tram system and he was subsequently disqualified and banned from the event in the future.
The man apologised and did return his medal, although the Garda, Ireland's police force, conducted a 'fact-finding' investigation into what had gone on.
An off-duty officer travelled much of the 2022 Dublin Marathon on the city's tram network
Anthony Gaskell - 2010
Anthony Gaskell, a 69-year-old pensioner, posted the fastest ever time recorded by someone over the age of 65 at the London Marathon in 2010 after completing the course in three hours and five minutes.
Gaskell was due to receive a plaque for his achievement, but it turns out the grandfather was unaware of what was going on.
After picking up an injury, Gaskell cut off 10 miles of the race but still crossed over the finish line, meaning he completed the second half of the race in under an hour.
This led to various accusations heading Gaskell's way but he claimed he had been caught up in a mistake elsewhere.
'I have been called a cheat and disqualified from a race I never claimed to have won,' he told The Daily Mail in 2010.
'I simply walked through a short cut to the end of the course where my belongings were waiting for me. I had no idea that anyone thought I'd won.
'I didn't bother to check the website for the final standings because I knew I had dropped out.'
Anthony Gaskell (pictured), a 69-year-old pensioner, posted the fastest time for someone over the age of 65 at the 2010 London Marathon, but it turns out he had withdrawn from the race
Rosie Ruiz - 1980
Rosie Ruiz was infamously the quickest woman in the 1980 Boston Marathon, winning the race in record time after clocking two hours, 31 minutes and 56 seconds.
However, in one of the most high profile accusations of cheating, it turned out she had sneaked on to the course about a mile from the finish line.
Questions began to be asked when she didn't appear to be particularly out of breath or sweaty at the finish line, while her rivals on the course hadn't spotted her during the race.
She was also unable to recall much from the route and in an interview asking her about her incredible time, Ruiz simply said: 'I got up with a lot of energy this morning'.
Ruiz was later disqualified from the race, but never admitted any wrongdoing despite facing similar accusations of foul play during the previous year's New York City marathon. Back then, she was alleged to have travelled on the subway for much of the race.
