Paris honors murdered Ugandan Olympian Cheptegei

Mayor Anne Hidalgo said a sports venue will be dedicated to Rebecca Cheptegei so that “her memory and her story” remain among Parisians. (EPA Images photo)

PARIS: The city of Paris will honour murdered Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei by naming a sports venue after her, the mayor of the French capital Anne Hidalgo announced on Friday.

Cheptegei, who competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics last month, died on Thursday from severe burns after her boyfriend doused her house in Kenya with gasoline and set it on fire.

“She blinded us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom, and it was probably her beauty, strength and freedom that was unbearable for the person who committed this murder,” Hidalgo told reporters.

“Paris will not forget her. We will dedicate a sports venue to her, so that her memory and her story remain among us and the message of equality, a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games, is spread,” Hidalgo added.

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

According to police and doctors, she suffered 80% burns from the attack by her Kenyan partner Dickson Ndiema Marangach on Sunday in front of her children.