Paris to honour murdered Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei

Uganda's Rebecca Cheptegei in action during the women's marathon final at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, Hungary, 26 August, 2023 REUTERS - Dylan Martinez

Paris is to honour murdered Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei by naming a sports venue after her, according to the French capital's Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Cheptegei, who competed in the women's marathon during the Paris Olympics last month, succumbed to severe burns on Thursday after being doused with petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend at her home in Kenya.

At the weekend, 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".

"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," Hidalgo added.

Taking to social media platform X, the Paris city hall posted, "Paris joins forces with Parisian elected officials to express its support for the family of the athlete, victim of femicide a few weeks after her participation in the Olympic Games".

'Violent murder'

33-year-old Cheptegei made her Olympic debut in the women's marathon at the Paris Games, where she finished 44th.

Police and doctors say she was left with 80 percent burns after being attacked in front of her two children the previous Sunday by her Kenyan partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach.

Her death – which the United Nations has described as a "violent murder" – triggered widespread condemnation.

World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said: "Our sport has lost a talented athlete in the most tragic and unthinkable circumstances.

"Rebecca was an incredibly versatile runner who still had lots left to give on the roads, mountains and cross country trails".

Protecting athletes from abuse

Coe said he was in discussions with members of World Athletics' governing Council "to assess how our safeguarding policies might be enhanced to include abuse outside of the sport, and bringing together stakeholders from all areas of athletics to combine forces to protect our female athletes to the best of our abilities from abuse of all kinds".

Janet Museveni, Uganda's First Lady and Education Minister, posted on X: "The news of our daughter Rebecca Cheptegei's tragic death due to domestic violence is deeply disturbing."

Kenyan Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said it was a "stark reminder" that more must be done to combat gender-based violence.

The Paris Olympics organisers voiced their "profound indignation and sadness" at the runner's death.

Cheptegei's funeral will be held on 14 September in Kongasis sub county in the Bukwo district of eastern Uganda, a member of the funeral organising committee told French news agency AFP on Sunday.

Bukwo is the location of Cheptegei's family home and lies on the border with Kenya about 380 kilometres northeast of the Ugandan capital Kampala.