Paris will establish a sports complex in honour of Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei, announced Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, after the athlete was burnt to death by her boyfriend.
The marathon runner, who participated in the Paris Games last month, passed away on Thursday (September 5), four days after being doused in gasoline and set ablaze by her lover in Kenya.
The 33-year-old athlete, who placed 44th in her first Olympic Games, was attacked on Sunday and more than 75% of her body was burned, according to media from Kenya and Uganda.
Mayor Hidalgo told reporters: “She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom, and it was in all likelihood her beauty, strength and freedom which were intolerable for the person who committed this murder.”
She added: “Paris will not forget her. We’ll dedicate a sports venue to her so that her memory and her story remains among us and helps carry the message of equality, which is a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Since October 2021, Cheptegei is the third well-known athlete to pass away in Kenya. Uganda’s Athletes Commission Chair Ganzi Semu Mugula remarked: “This is a critical moment— not just to mourn the loss of a remarkable Olympian, but to commit ourselves to creating a society that respects and protects the dignity of every individual.”
Source: CNA