Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei Dead at 33 After Being Set on Fire in Gasoline Attack

Rebecca Cheptegei's story has ended in tragedy.  

The Ugandan distance runner—who competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics just weeks ago—died Sept. 5 after being set on fire in a gasoline attack by an alleged boyfriend, local outlets confirmed. She was 33.

“It is sad that we lost the patient early this morning,” said Dr. Owen Menach, the Director of Clinical Services and Surgery at Kenya’s Moi Teaching and Referring Hospital where Rebecca was admitted to the ICU for her burn injuries, per the The Nation, “after all her organs failed at about 5 a.m. while we were doing our best to save her life.”

The Ugandan Athletics Federation expressed its sadness over the loss of the athlete.

“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence,” the organization shared on X, formerly Twitter. “As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace.” 

The Olympian—who was reportedly a mom to two children—suffered burns on at least 75 percent of her body as well as inhalation burns on Sept. 2 after her alleged boyfriend Dickson Ndiema set her fire following an altercation, police chief Jeremiah Ole Kosiom told reporters, per the BBC. 

“The couple were heard quarreling outside their house,” he told journalists. “During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her.” 

Authorities said, per the BBC, that the suspect snuck into Rebecca’s Kenyan home with a five-liter can of gasoline while the athlete was at church. The suspect reportedly doused her with the liquid when she returned and lit her on fire. Neighbors told the police they heard the altercation and pulled the pair out of the flames before they were both rushed to the hospital. 

According to local outlets, Rebecca and the suspect had been quarreling over a land dispute.

Many have expressed their outrage over the attack on Rebecca, which occurs amid ongoing instances of gender-based violence in Kenya.  

As Athletics Kenya President Jack Tuwei said, per The Nation, “The incident that happened to our athlete from Uganda is really unfortunate and sad because you can’t harm somebody due to disagreements about property, especially from a partner. As a federation, we condemn this in the strongest terms possible because that is not how we are supposed to live.”