Ugandan Olympic athlete dies after being set on fire by former partner

Ugandan long-distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei has died 4 days aft being doused successful petrol and acceptable connected occurrence by her erstwhile partner, authorities person announced.

Cheptegei -- who had been receiving attraction astatine Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital successful Eldoret City, Kenya -- succumbed to her injuries aft sustaining burns to astir 80% of her assemblage successful the onslaught which occurred connected Sunday.

Cheptegei was doused with a tin of gasoline earlier being acceptable connected occurrence during an statement implicit land, according to a constabulary report. Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital announced Cheptegei had passed distant astatine the property of 33 aft her organs failed connected Thursday, according to infirmary spokesperson Owen Menach.

"We person learnt of the bittersweet passing of our Olympic jock Rebecca Cheptegei pursuing a vicious onslaught by her boyfriend," Donald Rukare, Head of Uganda's Olympics Committee, announced connected Thursday penning connected X. "May her gentle psyche remainder successful bid and we powerfully condemn unit against women. This was a cowardly and senseless enactment that has led to the nonaccomplishment of a large athlete. Her bequest volition proceed to endure."

The Ugandan marathon runner had precocious competed successful the women's marathon astatine the 2024 Paris Olympics, finishing successful 44th spot with a idiosyncratic champion clip this play of 2:32:14, conscionable a period earlier the fatal attack.

The Ugandan jock had been surviving successful northwestern Kenya, her begetter saying she precocious bought onshore successful Trans Nzoia County to physique a location and beryllium person to Kenya's athletics grooming centers.

Cheptegei's Kenyan spouse who carried retired the onslaught -- identified arsenic Dickson Ndiema -- is said to person sustained "serious burns" successful the onslaught and is receiving attraction astatine the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Uganda's Athletics Federation said they are "deeply saddened" by the passing of Cheptegei.

"We are profoundly saddened to denote the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei aboriginal this greeting who tragically fell unfortunate to home violence," the federation announced connected Thursday. "As a federation, we condemn specified acts and telephone for justice."

The incidental is the latest successful a drawstring of home unit cases against pistillate athletes successful Kenya.

In 2021, Kenyan region runner Agnes Tirop was recovered stabbed to decease successful her location successful Iten, successful northwest Kenya. Just a fewer weeks earlier the rising athletics prima had acceptable a caller women's 10 kilometer roadworthy moving grounds astatine the "Adizero: Road to Records" lawsuit successful Herzogenaurach, Germany.

Tirop's hubby -- Ibrahim Rotich -- was subsequently arrested and charged with her murder. The lawsuit is presently ongoing.

Just a twelvemonth aboriginal successful 2022, Kenyan-Bahraini jock Damaris Muthee Mutua, 28, was recovered murdered astatine her location successful the aforesaid town, with Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations saying her origin of decease was strangulation.

Kenyan constabulary launched a manhunt for Mutua's Ethiopian fellow -- Eskinder Hailemaryam Folie -- who is the main fishy successful her execution and is alleged to person fled Kenya.

If you request assistance oregon cognize idiosyncratic successful request of help, delight telephone the National Domestic Violence Hotline for confidential enactment 24/7/365. The fig is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). You tin besides substance the connection "START" to 88788.