The city of Paris will honour Ugandan Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who tragically lost her life after a brutal attack in Kenya.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced plans to name a sports venue in Cheptegei’s honour. This gesture aims to preserve her memory and symbolise the message of equality promoted by the Olympic and Paralympic Games, according to the Times of India.
Cheptegei, who competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics, was killed after being set on fire by her partner. The attack, which left the world in shock, occurred at her home in Endebess, in the western county of Trans-Nzoia. Police reported that Dickson Ndiema Marangach doused Cheptegei with petrol and set her alight.
Ugandan athletics officials confirmed Cheptegei’s death four days after the attack.
Hidalgo remarked, “Paris will not forget her. We’ll dedicate a sports venue to her so that her memory and her story remain among us and help carry the message of equality, which is a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
“She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her beauty, strength, and freedom, and it was in all likelihood these qualities that were intolerable to the person who committed this murder,” Hidalgo added.
Cheptegei, 33, made her Olympic debut in the women’s marathon at the Paris Games, where she finished 44th. Police and doctors have reported that she suffered 80 percent burns from the attack, which occurred in front of her children.
