Olympic marathon runner set on fire by boyfriend, police say
FILE - (L-R) Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi of Team Morocco, Rosemary Wanjiru of Team Kenya, Amane Beriso Shankule of Team Ethiopia, Rebecca Cheptegei of Team Uganda, Selly Chepyego Kaptich of Team Kenya and Lonah Chemtai Salpeter of Team Israel cross the Sz
An Olympic marathon runner, who competed for Uganda and was living in Kenya, was attacked and set on fire by her boyfriend during a disagreement on Sunday, police said.
Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, ran the marathon at the Paris Olympics. It was the first time she competed at the Olympics in her running career.
Weeks after finishing 44th in the event, Cheptegei was attacked in her house in the western Trans Nzoia County in Kenya. Police Commander Jeremiah Ole Kosiom said Monday that Cheptegei’s boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, bought a jerrican of petrol, poured it on her and set her ablaze.
Cheptegei was receiving and receiving treatment for burns on 75% of her body, police said. Ndiema also sustained burn wounds in the alleged incident.
According to a police report, the couple were overheard fighting over land where the house was built before the fire was started.
"The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her," Koisom said, via BBC.
Cheptegei bought land in Trans Nzoia to be near the county’s many athletic training centers, her parents said.
An investigation into the incident was ongoing.
In 2022, Cheptegei won the Padova Marathon and finished in second place in the 10,000-meter race at the Ugandan Championships. She then finished fourth in the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.