*Ugandan athlete Rebecca Cheptegei was attacked and set on fire by her boyfriend, resulting in burns covering 75% of her body.
Cheptegei, a distance runner who placed 44th at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was assaulted in her home in Trans Nzoia County, Kenya, CBS News reports. She remains in critical condition at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret city.
According to Trans Nzoia County Police, her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, poured petrol on her and set her on fire Sunday during an argument over the land where the house was built.
Cheptegei’s parents mentioned that their daughter purchased land in Trans Nzoia to be close to the county’s numerous athletic training facilities.
We regret to announce that our athlete Rebecca Cheptegei, who competed at the Olympics has suffered severe injuries and is hospitalized at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret. This follows an incident involving her Kenyan boyfriend pouring petrol and setting fire on her pic.twitter.com/rgnWvgTpkb
— UGANDA ATHLETICS FEDERATION UAF (@UgaAthletics2) September 3, 2024
“During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her,” Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom told reporters.
An MTRH staff member spoke anonymously to the AFP, confirming that Cheptegei’s “condition looks serious with facial burns and bandages.” It’s unclear if Cheptegei’s children were hurt in the attack.
The Ugandan Athletics Federation confirmed in a statement on social media that Cheptegei “suffered severe injuries” in the vicious attack.
Ndiema was also hospitalized after he sustained burn wounds in the incident.
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