The Paris capital will honour the late Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei by dedicating a sports facility in her memory.
Recall that the Ugandan marathon runner tragically passed away on Thursday, following a horrific incident where her ex-boyfriend in Kenya doused her in petrol and set her on fire.
Before the tragic incident, Cheptegei participated in the Paris Games last month, marking her Olympic debut and securing the 44th position.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo revealed on Friday that the French capital will honor.
“She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom, and it was in all likelihood her beauty, strength and freedom which were intolerable for the person who committed this murder,” Hidalgo said.
“Paris will not forget her. We’ll dedicate a sports venue to her so that her memory and her story remains among us and helps carry the message of equality, which is a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Cheptegei, aged 33, sustained burns on over 80% of her body during the assault on Sunday.
She becomes the third notable sportswoman to lose her life in Kenya since October 2021.
Cheptegei’s family has called for justice and legal action against the culprit.
“I have a lot of grief because I’ve lost my daughter. I seek your help so that this person who has killed my daughter can be prosecuted,” Joseph Cheptegei, her father told reporters at the hospital where she died.
Cheptegei is survived by two daughters.
Recall that the Ugandan marathon runner tragically passed away on Thursday, following a horrific incident where her ex-boyfriend in Kenya doused her in petrol and set her on fire.
Before the tragic incident, Cheptegei participated in the Paris Games last month, marking her Olympic debut and securing the 44th position.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo revealed on Friday that the French capital will honor.
“She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom, and it was in all likelihood her beauty, strength and freedom which were intolerable for the person who committed this murder,” Hidalgo said.
“Paris will not forget her. We’ll dedicate a sports venue to her so that her memory and her story remains among us and helps carry the message of equality, which is a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Cheptegei, aged 33, sustained burns on over 80% of her body during the assault on Sunday.
She becomes the third notable sportswoman to lose her life in Kenya since October 2021.
Cheptegei’s family has called for justice and legal action against the culprit.
“I have a lot of grief because I’ve lost my daughter. I seek your help so that this person who has killed my daughter can be prosecuted,” Joseph Cheptegei, her father told reporters at the hospital where she died.
Cheptegei is survived by two daughters.
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