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Ugandan Olympic runner dies after being set on fire by ex-boyfriend

Sep 5, 2024, 6:35am EDT
africa
Dylan Martinez/Reuters
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Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei died in a Kenyan hospital days after her former boyfriend set her on fire.

The 33-year-old marathon runner, who competed at the Paris Olympics last month, was attacked on Sunday and left with severe burns.

Authorities said the long-distance runner was attacked by her ex-partner over a land dispute, targeted as she returned home from church with her two daughters, the BBC reported.

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The BBC noted the growing concerns about violence against female athletes in Kenya, saying Cheptegei was the third to have been killed since October 2021.

On the social media platform X, the Uganda Athletics Federation wrote of the marathon runner’s passing: “We condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace.”

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