Ugandan Olympic Runner, Rebecca Cheptegei Severely Burned in Gasoline Attack

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Ugandan Olympic Runner, Rebecca Cheptegei Severely Burned in Gasoline Attack

By James Hughes

A Ugandan long-distance runner who competed at the Paris Olympics this summer has been severely burned in Kenya, after a man who was in a relationship with her poured gasoline on her and set her on fire on Sunday, according to the local authorities.

According to New York Times, Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, was in critical condition at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in the city of Eldoret, Kenya, after sustaining burns to 80 percent of her body, according to Dr. Owen Menach, who is on staff at the hospital.

She was attacked by a man, identified as Dickson Ndiema, whom she was said to be in a relationship with, according to Jeremiah Ole Kosiom, commander of the Trans Nzoia County Police in Kitale, Kenya. No arrests have been made so far, the police said.

Mr. Ndiema secretly entered Ms. Cheptegei’s home in Trans-Nzoia County with a jerrycan of gasoline, Mr. Kosiom said, and he poured gasoline on her and set her on fire. The resulting fire also burned Mr. Ndiema in 30 percent of his body, Mr. Kosiom said.

The two were involved in a property dispute, leading Ms. Cheptegei to file a police report, according to her father, Joseph Cheptegei.

Ms. Cheptegei, a professional athlete, ran the marathon at the Paris Olympics in August, where she placed 44th. She qualified for the Olympic marathon after reaching a personal best of 2 hours, 22 minutes and 47 seconds at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Marathon, according to the website for the Paris Games. In 2022, she won the Up and Downhill race at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

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