Ugandan athlete Cheptegei dies, days after boyfriend set her on fire [View all]

NAIROBI, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei died on Thursday, days after she was doused in petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend in Kenya, in the latest attack on female athletes in the country.

Kenyan and Ugandan media reported that Cheptegei, 33, who competed in the Paris Olympics, suffered burns to more than 75% of her body in Sunday's attack, making her the third sportswoman to be killed in Kenya since October 2021.

"We have learnt of the sad passing on of our Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei... following a vicious attack by her boyfriend," Donald Rukare, president of Uganda Olympics Committee, said in a post on X.

"May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women," he said.

https://www.reuters.com/sports/ugandan-runner-cheptegei-dies-after-attack-by-boyfriend-national-olympic-2024-09-05/