Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei dies after petrol attack

Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being doused in petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend, Ugandan official says.

The 33-year-old Ugandan marathon runner, who competed in Paris, had suffered extensive burns after Sunday’s attack, the doctor treating her had said.

The authorities in north-west Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and trained, said she was targeted after returning home from church.

A report filed by a local administrator alleged the athlete and her ex-partner had been wrangling over a piece of land. Police say an investigation is underway.

There are concerns about the increasing cases of violence against female athletes in Kenya, several of which have resulted in death.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence. As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace,” Uganda’s athletics federation said in a post on X.

The family is yet to confirm her death but Dr Owen Menach, the head of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, where she had been admitted, told local media that the athlete had died after all her organs failed.

Cheptegei’s former boyfriend was also admitted to the hospital – but with less severe burns.

Talking to reporters, earlier in the week her father, Joseph Cheptegei, said that he prayed “for justice for my daughter”, adding that he had never seen such an inhumane act in his life.

Her death comes two years after the killings of fellow East African athletes Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua, with their partners identified as the main suspects in both cases by the authorities.

Tirop’s husband is currently facing murder charges, which he denies, while a hunt for Mutua’s boyfriend continues.

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