Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei set on fire by her boyfriend after competing in Paris
Marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei was set on fire by her boyfriend Dickson Ndiema just weeks after competing at the Paris Olympics.
According to the Associated Press, Trans Nzoia County police commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom said the 33-year-old Ugandan athlete was attacked by Ndiayema on Sunday after a disagreement.
Police claim Ndiema bought a bottle of petrol and poured it on Cheptegei before setting him ablaze at his home in Kenya’s Trans Nzoia County. He suffered burns to over 75 per cent of his body.
Cheptegei’s parents told local police that he had recently purchased land in Trans Nzoia to be closer to athletic training centres.
“Couple [was] “We heard a fight outside our house. During the fight, the boyfriend was seen pouring some liquid on the woman before setting her on fire,” Kosiom told reporters, according to the BBC.
The local chief said in his report that before the fire broke out, the couple was heard arguing over the land on which their house was built.
Cheptegei was rescued by neighbours and is in a serious condition, the BBC reported.
Ndiema also sustained burn injuries during the attack. He and Cheptegei are receiving treatment at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
Cheptegei began racing in 2010.
She will compete on behalf of Uganda at the 2024 Paris Olympics and finished 44th in the women’s marathon.
In April 2022, Cheptegei won the Padova Marathon and placed second in the women’s 10,000 metres at the Ugandan Championships in Kampala, Uganda.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
