Olympic Marathon Runner Rebecca Cheptegei Dies After Gasoline Attack

A Ugandan athlete who appeared in the 2024 Paris Olympics has died after reportedly being set on fire by her boyfriend in Kenya.

As previously reported by PEOPLE, distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, suffered 75 percent burns on her body after her boyfriend allegedly doused her in gasoline and set her on fire at her home in Trans Nzoia County in western Kenya on Sunday, Sept. 1, police said, per the Associated Press, BBC News and ESPN.

On Thursday, Sept. 5, it was reported Cheptegei had died from her injuries, per local outlets the Daily Nation, The Standard, and The Star.

Per the Nation, Dr. Owen Menach, who is the Director of Clinical Services and Surgery at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, confirmed the sad news, announcing the athlete died at around 5 a.m. local time from “full organ failure.”

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