The Olympic champion Rebecca Cheptegei from Uganda succumbed to severe burns she sustained after her abusive partner doused her with gasoline and set her on fire following an argument they had on Sunday.
The 33-year-old marathon runner was rushed to a hospital in Kenya where she was receiving treatment.
The Ugandan Athletics Federation posted on X: “We have learned of the tragic death of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei following a brutal attack by her partner. May her gentle soul rest in peace, and we strongly condemn violence against women. This was a cowardly and senseless act that led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to exist.”
Speaking to the Kenyan news agency The Star, Dr. Owen Menach, deputy director of the hospital where Cheptegei was being treated, stated that “we lost her after all her organs failed” on Wednesday night.
The police chief of Trans Nzoia County, Jeremiah ole Kosiom, said on Monday that Cheptegei’s boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, purchased a container of gasoline, poured it on her, and set her on fire during a dispute on Sunday.
Ndiema also sustained burns and was admitted to the same hospital, the police said.