Police: Olympic Marathon Runner Set on Fire by Boyfriend

A Ugandan Olympic marathon runner who was living in Kenya was attacked and set on fire by her boyfriend on Sunday, police say.

Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, a first-time Olympian at the recent Paris Games, had an argument with her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema. During the disagreement, Ndiema allegedly grabbed a jerrican of gasoline, poured it on Cheptegei, and lit her on fire, according to Police Commander Jeremiah Ole Kosiom.

The attack left the Olympian with burns over 75% of her body.

The argument reportedly began as a dispute over the land upon which the house was built.

“The couple were heard quarrelling outside their house. During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her,” Koisom said via the BBC.

Cheptegei reportedly bought the property, located in Trans Nzola, to be closer to the athletic training facilities.

The Ugandan runner finished 44th at the Olympic Summer Games held in Paris.

Before that, she won the Padova Marathon in 2022, finished second in the 10,000-meter Ugandan Championships, and fourth in the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.