A Parisian sports venue has been named after Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, after she was burned alive by her partner.
The athlete died on Thursday from horrific injuries she sustained after being doused with gasoline and set on fire in her home.
Medical officials said the 33-year-old suffered burns to 80 percent of her body in Sunday’s brutal attack, which was allegedly carried out by her ex-boyfriend.
She was rushed to the intensive care unit of the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, in the hope that doctors could stabilise her. But yesterday, the facility’s acting director, Dr Owen Menach, confirmed that Cheptegei had died.
Now, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced that a sporting venue in the capital has been named after the runner, as she pays tribute to the Ugandan athlete. The world defeated.
A Parisian sports venue has been named after Ugandan runner Rebecca Cheptegei (center)
Now, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced that a sports venue in the capital has been named after the runner
The athlete died on Thursday from horrific injuries she sustained after being doused with gasoline and set on fire in her home
She said, ‘Paris will not forget her.
‘We will dedicate a sports website to her, so that her memory and her history remain among us and we contribute to spreading the message of equality, a message that is spread by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
‘She amazed us here in Paris.
“We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom, and it was probably her beauty, her strength, and her freedom that was unbearable for the person who committed this murder.”
Cheptegei competed in the marathon at the Olympic Games last month and finished in 44th place.
Kenyan police confirmed that the runner was attacked at her home in the western Trans Nzoia County, near the Ugandan border, where she had recently moved to be closer to Kenya’s better training facilities.
Trans Nzoia County police chief Jeremiah Ole Kosiom said her former partner Dickson Ndiema bought a can of petrol, poured it over her and set her alight during a dispute on Sunday.
According to Kenyan newspaper The Nation, police found a five-liter jerry can, a bag and a burnt phone at the scene of the incident.
Cheptegei, 33, suffered burns over 80 percent of her body in Sunday’s brutal attack, which was allegedly carried out by her ex-boyfriend, medical officials said
Cheptegei’s sister burst into tears during a press conference after the attack
Rebecca’s father Joseph Cheptegei alleged that the two had a dispute over her land in Endebes in Trans-Nzoia
Dr Menach told the Kenyan press: “Unfortunately, we lost her after all her organs failed.”
Uganda Olympic Committee (UOC) President Donald Rukare wrote in a post on X: “We have learned of the sad passing of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei… following a violent attack by her boyfriend.
“This was a cowardly and senseless act that resulted in the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will live on,” he added.
A UOC press release signed by Rukare later called on law enforcement agencies to “take swift and decisive action to bring the perpetrator to justice.”
Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, said: ‘Our sport has lost a talented athlete in the most tragic circumstances.
‘Rebecca was an incredibly versatile runner who still had a lot to offer on the road, in the mountains and on cross-country courses.’
Rebecca’s father Joseph Cheptegei, who spoke from hospital earlier this week with his other daughter Evalyne Chelagat, claimed the two had a dispute over her land in Endebes in Trans-Nzoia shortly before the alleged attack.
“They were just friends and I wonder why he wanted to take my daughter’s things,” Cheptegei Snr told The Star. He also revealed that his daughter’s two children were fathered by another man who lives in Uganda.
Cheptegei competed in the marathon at the Olympic Games last month and finished in 44th place
A UOC press release signed by President Donald Rukare urged law enforcement agencies to “take swift and decisive action to bring the perpetrator to justice”
Cheptegei won the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand
He further alleged that Cheptegei and Ndiema – who he said have been separated for a long time – are involved in a case being investigated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) in Kenya.
According to Cheptegei Snr and Police Chief Kosiom, the ex-boyfriend sneaked into his daughter’s house to stage the attack.
According to Menach, the alleged ex-boyfriend who attacked him was also admitted to the same hospital with 30 percent burns.