Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegui, who participated in last month’s Paris Olympics, is in critical condition after suffering burns on over 75% of her body. According to local media reports on Monday, she was allegedly doused with petrol by her boyfriend.
Cheptegui is currently receiving treatment in a hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, following the attack on Sunday afternoon, as reported by both Kenyan and Ugandan newspapers.
Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah Ole Kosiom told The Star newspaper that Cheptegui’s boyfriend, identified as Daniel Ndiema Marangach, also sustained burns in what has been described as a domestic dispute. The 33-year-old athlete, who placed 44th in Paris, owns a house in Kenya where she stays during her training.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
