A Ugandan athlete living in Kenya is receiving treatment for burns covering 75 percent of her body after being attacked and set on fire by her boyfriend, according to police reports.

Rebecca Cheptegei, a distance runner who placed 44th in the 2024 Paris Olympics, was assaulted in her home in Trans Nzoia County, located in western Kenya.

Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom reported on Monday that Cheptegei’s boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, purchased a jerrican of petrol, poured it on her, and set her ablaze during a dispute on Sunday. Ndiema also sustained burn injuries, and both are currently receiving specialized care at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.

Cheptegei’s parents shared that their daughter had purchased land in Trans Nzoia to be near the area’s renowned athletic training centers.

A report from the local chief indicates that the couple was overheard arguing about the land where their house was built just before the fire broke out.

This incident follows other recent tragedies in the athletic community. In 2023, Ugandan Olympic runner and steeplechaser Benjamin Kiplagat was found dead with stab wounds. In 2022, Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee was discovered dead, with a postmortem report revealing she had been strangled.

Source: AP