Less than a month ago, Ugandan runner Rebecca Cheptegei competed in the marathon at the Paris Olympics. On Thursday, she died in a hospital in Kenya with burns over 80% of her body, days after police said her ex-boyfriend doused her in gasoline and set her on fire. "We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence," the Uganda Athletics Federation said in a post on X. "As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice." Authorities said the 33-year-old was attacked after she returned from church with her two daughters on Sunday, the BBC reports.
Her father tells the Washington Post that Dickson Ndiema threatened his daughter's life after she broke up with him and was repeatedly reported to the police, most recently on Friday, when the family was told to come back on Monday. Joseph Cheptegei says that after Rebecca moved to Kenya because of violence in her home region just across the border and built a house near athletic training centers, she became involved with Ndiema, who tried to take control of her property. Cheptegei says his daughter, who finished in 44th place in Paris, "left for the Olympics when she was so stressed because this man was disturbing her, that's why she probably did not perform well."
"I have 13 children, Rebecca was the second-born and the whole family depended on her," the father says. "She was our pillar because we are poor and she was our only hope." Fellow Ugandan athlete James Kirwa tells the BBC that Cheptegei was known for her support of other athletes. "She brought me training shoes when she came back from the Olympics," he says. "She was like an older sister to me." Uganda Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare said the attack was "a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete," the AP reports. Ndiema suffered less severe burns in the attack and remains in intensive care. (More Uganda stories.)
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