THE CITY OF Paris will honour murdered Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei by naming a sports venue after her, the French capital’s mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced.
Cheptegei, who competed in the women’s marathon during the Paris Olympics last month, died due to severe burns yesterday after being doused with petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend at her home in Kenya.
Police and doctors say she was left with 80% burns after being attacked in front of her children on Sunday by Dickson Ndiema Marangach.
Cheptegei, 33, made her Olympic debut in the women’s marathon at the Paris Games, where she finished 44th.
“She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom, and it was in all likelihood her beauty, strength and freedom which were intolerable for the person who committed this murder,” Hidalgo told reporters.
“Paris will not forget her. We’ll dedicate a sports venue to her so that her memory and her story remains among us and helps carry the message of equality, which is a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Hidalgo said.
The athlete’s death, which the United Nations called a “violent murder”, triggered widespread condemnation.
World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: “Our sport has lost a talented athlete in the most tragic and unthinkable circumstances.
“Rebecca was an incredibly versatile runner who still had lots left to give on the roads, mountains and cross country trails.”
Coe said he was in discussions with members of World Athletics’ governing Council “to assess how our safeguarding policies might be enhanced to include abuse outside of the sport, and bringing together stakeholders from all areas of athletics to combine forces to protect our female athletes to the best of our abilities from abuse of all kinds”.
Janet Museveni, Uganda’s First Lady and Education Minister, posted on X: “The news of our daughter Rebecca Cheptegei’s tragic death due to domestic violence is deeply disturbing.”
Kenyan Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said it was a “stark reminder” that more must be done to combat gender-based violence.
The Paris Olympics organisers voiced their “profound indignation and sadness”.
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