Paris honors Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who reportedly perished following an alleged arson attack perpetrated by her boyfriend.
At the 2024 Paralympics, a tribute was paid after the T54 and T12 marathons, featuring an image of Cheptegei on the big screen near the finish line at the Esplanades des Invalides. The audience then observed a minute of silence in Cheptegei's memory.
Following the marathons, various participants also paid their respects to Cheptegei.
Marcel Hug, who secured his third consecutive T54 marathon gold medal, highlighted the significance of the Paralympic movement to relay a strong "anti-violence" message.
"It's terrible, and we should genuinely aim to prevent such instances," Hug told Olympics.com. "I didn't personally know her, but she was a wonderful individual, and it's truly heartbreaking. This platform provides us an excellent opportunity to convey our messages against violence. We should express our opposition to such acts here at the Paralympics."
Hug's wheelchair racing partner, Catherine Debrunner, from Switzerland, also expressed her shock upon winning her inaugural Paralympic T54 marathon gold.
"I'm at a loss for words. We should cherish the opportunities we have here."
Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had announced earlier that Cheptegei would be honored by the city by naming a sports facility after her.
Cheptegei, aged 33, a resident of Kenya, had been in a critical condition due to burns covering 75% of her body following a Sunday attack at her house in the western Trans Nzoia County. Her demise was announced by the Kenyan Olympic Team on Thursday.
Cheptegei had placed 44th in the women's marathon at the Paris Olympics a few weeks prior.
Trans Nzoia County police commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom had disclosed earlier that week that Cheptegei had been doused in petrol by her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, who entered her house with a jerry can of gasoline and set her ablaze during an argument over land. Ndiema, who too sustained burns, received medical attention at Eldoret City Hospital.
A medical expert at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, where Cheptegei was being treated, told CNN affiliate Citizen TV on Thursday that she had suffered multi-organ failure late in the previous day.
Cheptegei represents the third elite female athlete to fall victim to violence in Kenya in the past three years.
In 2021, 25-year-old Kenyan Olympic runner Agnes Tirop was discovered dead in her Iten home in the country's Elgeyo-Marakwet County with neck wounds. Her husband, Ibrahim Rotich, was then charged with murder by Kenyan prosecutors, who accused him of her murder.
Months later, another Kenyan athlete, Damaris Mutua, aged 28, was found strangled in a home, with a pillow covering her face. Mutua had just secured the third position in a half marathon event in Angola the previous month. Authorities pinned the main suspicion on her boyfriend.
Participants in various sports express their condolences after learning about Cheptegei's tragic passing. Marcel Hug, reflecting on Cheptegei's death, emphasizes the Paralympic movement's role in promoting an "anti-violence" message.
