A sports activities venue in Paris might be named after Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who died after her ex-boyfriend allegedly set her on hearth, the French capital’s mayor has introduced.
The 33-year-old mom died on Thursday with extreme burns after her former companion allegedly doused her in petrol and set her on hearth outdoors her residence in north-western Kenya on Sunday.
Police in western Kenya have informed the BBC they’re treating Cheptegei’s dying as homicide. They beforehand mentioned an investigation was beneath means.
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo mentioned dedicating a sports activities venue after Cheptegei would assist “her reminiscence and her story stay amongst us”.
Cheptegei competed within the Olympic marathon in Paris, coming forty fourth in a time of two hours 32 minutes and 14 seconds.
Ms Hidalgo informed reporters the runner “dazzled us” on the Olympic Video games within the French capital, including that “Paris is not going to neglect her”.
“We noticed her. Her magnificence, her power, her freedom, and it was in all probability her magnificence, power and freedom which had been insupportable for the one who dedicated this homicide,” she mentioned.
“We’ll dedicate a sports activities venue to her in order that her reminiscence and her story stays amongst us and helps carry the message of equality, which is a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Video games.”
Joan Chelimo, a fellow athlete of Cheptegei’s, mentioned ladies must “come collectively” following the incident.
“I knew Rebecca as an individual: we had been collectively on the Paris Olympics. She was a mum, she had been exhausting working to be on the Olympics,” she informed BBC Radio 4’s Girl’s Hour.
“She was the breadwinner of her household and you may think about different women had been wanting as much as her.”
Ms Chelimo added: “We’re nonetheless hoping, and attempting to hope, that the perpetrators might be held accountable for his or her wrongdoings.”
At 19 years previous, Cheptegei first represented Uganda in an under-20 race on the 2010 World Cross Nation Championships and later transitioned to longer highway races, making her marathon debut in 2021.
She recorded a private better of two hours 22 minutes and 47 seconds the next yr, making her the second-fastest Ugandan girl of all time.
Cheptegei was capable of help her household together with her earnings from operating.
Ms Chelimo mentioned she thinks some males really feel “intimidated” by feminine athletes who’re “going past the standard norms of males offering all the pieces”.
“They’re changing into extra financially steady, they’re changing into extra impartial, and I feel their ex-partners don’t like the very fact we have gotten impartial, we’re elevating our voices extra.”
A report filed by an area administrator alleged the athlete and her ex-partner had been wrangling over a bit of land.
Assaults on ladies have turn into a significant concern in Kenya. In 2022 no less than 34% of girls mentioned they’d skilled bodily violence, in response to a nationwide survey.
“Extra must be performed,” Ms Chelimo mentioned. “We’re actually hoping that now it’s one other get up name and for us to return collectively.”