Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei Dies After Attack from Boyfriend

The BBC is reporting that Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being doused in petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend.

The 33-year-old Ugandan marathon runner, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, suffered extensive burns after Sunday’s attack.

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

A report filed by a local administrator alleged the athlete and her ex-partner had been wrangling over a piece of land.

There are concerns about the increasing cases of violence against female athletes in Kenya.

Cheptegei is the third to have been killed since October 2021.

Speaking to journalists outside the hospital where she had been treated, her father, Joseph, said he had lost a daughter who was very supportive and asked the Kenyan government to ensure justice is done.