Olympic athlete dies days after being set on fire by her ex-boyfriend

Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei died a few days after her release at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, who poured gasoline on her and set her on fire.

The 33-year-old marathon runner from Uganda, who recently took part in the Olympic Games in Paris, suffered severe burns in the attack on Sunday.

Authorities in northwest Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and was educated, said she was targeted as she returned home from church with her two daughters.

Her father, Joseph Cheptegei, said he had lost a “very understanding” daughter. Ugandan athlete James Kirwa told the BBC about her generosity and how she helped other runners financially.

A local administrator reported that the athlete and her ex-partner had argued over a piece of land. Police said an investigation was ongoing.

Cheptegei, who hails from a region just across the border in Uganda, is said to have bought a plot of land in Transnzoia County and built a house to be close to Kenya’s elite athletics training centres.

Attacks on women have become a major problem in Kenya. According to a nationwide survey in 2022, at least 34% of women reported experiencing physical violence.

“This tragedy is a stark reminder of the urgency of tackling gender-based violence, which is increasingly affecting even elite sport,” said Kenya’s Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen.

Speaking to journalists outside the hospital where she was treated, Mr Cheptegei called on the Kenyan government to ensure justice was done for his daughter’s death.

“We have lost our breadwinner,” he added, wondering how their two children, aged 12 and 13, would “continue their education.”

Dr Kimani Mbugua, a consultant doctor at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, told local media that staff did everything possible for the athlete, but “the athlete suffered severe burns which unfortunately led to multi-organ failure which ultimately led to her death at 05:30am (02:30 GMT) this morning.”

Kirwa, who visited Cheptegei in hospital, told the BBC she was “a very approachable person. (She) helped all of us, even financially, and she brought me training shoes when she came back from the Olympics. She was like an older sister to me.”

Uganda’s Athletics Federation said in a post on X: “We are deeply saddened to announce the death this morning of our athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who was tragically the victim of domestic violence. As an association, we condemn such acts and demand justice. May her soul rest in peace.”

“This is heartbreaking. Even more heartbreaking is that this is not the first time the athletics community has lost such an incredible athlete to domestic violence,” British Olympian Eilish McColgan wrote on X.

Cheptegei’s ex-boyfriend was also admitted to the hospital in Eldoret – but with less severe burns. He is still in intensive care, but his condition has “improved and stabilized,” said Dr. Owen Menach of Moi Hospital.

Earlier, local police chief Jeremiah ole Kosiom was quoted by local media as saying: “The couple was heard arguing outside their house. During the argument, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman and then burning her.”

“This was a cowardly and senseless act that resulted in the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will live on,” The head of the Uganda Olympic Committee, Donald Rukare, said on X.

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, her father said he was “praying for justice for my daughter,” adding that he had never seen such an inhumane act in his life.

At the recent Olympic Games in Paris, Cheptegei finished 44th in the marathon.

She also won gold at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Their deaths follow the murders of East African athletes Agnes Tirop in 2021 and Damaris Mutua the following year. In both cases, their partners were identified by authorities as prime suspects.

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