Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei is receiving treatment in a Kenyan hospital after allegedly being set on fire by a former boyfriend. The marathon runner had competed at the recent Paris Olympics. (More Sports News)
According to reports, Cheptegei was attacked at her home in western Kenya, where she had been training. She suffered burns to more than 75% and is in critical condition.
Neighbours helped to extinguish the flames, local medal reported. The Ugandan Athletics Federation confirmed the attack.
"We regret to announce that our athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed at the Olympics has suffered severe injuries and is hospitalised at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
"This follows an incident involving her Kenyan boyfriend pouring petrol and setting fire on her."
The 33-year-old had finished in 44th place in the marathon at the Paris Olympics. She had also won gold at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in 2022.
Police said that Cheptegei was attacked in her house by her former boyfriend Dickson Ndiema. Local media reported that Ndiema had bought a can of petrol, poured it on Cheptegei and set her on fire on Sunday.
"The boyfriend is believed to have sneaked into the compound at around 2pm on Sunday while the wife and the children were in Church,' Trans-Nzoia county police commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom told Kenyan newspaper The Standard.
Cheptegei is currently being treated at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city. Ndiema, who also sustained burns, is being treated at the same hospital.
"Upon returning, Dickson, who had procured petrol, began pouring it on Rebecca before he set her ablaze," added Kosiom. "The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her. The suspect was also caught by the fire and sustained serious burns."
The attack on Rebecca Cheptegei is the latest incident of violence against female athletes in Kenya. In April 2022, Damaris Mutua, also a runner, was found strangled in a home in the Rift Valley town of Iten.
In 2021, Agnes Tirop was found dead in Iten, a hotbed of long-distance runners, just weeks after she broke the world record in women's 10km road running in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
