Cheptegei, 33, tragically died of multiple organ failure last week in a hospital in Eldoret, Kenya, days after she suffered 80% burns when she was doused in petrol and set alight
Slain Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei emerged from her home on fire screaming for help - before her attacker ran out after her to douse her with yet more petrol,a horrified eyewitness has claimed.
Cheptegei,33,tragically died of multiple organ failure last week in a hospital in Eldoret,Kenya,days after she suffered 80% burns when a man reported to be her ex-boyfriend threw petrol on her and set her alight amid a bitter argument.
Neighbours who heard the commotion came running to discover the Olympian engulfed in flames and tried to extinguish them,to no avail.
But now an eyewitness has recounted in gruesome detail how Cheptegei was ruthlessly set upon by her former partner,named by Kenyan press as Dickson Ndiema.
Agnes Barabara,who lives adjacent to Cheptegei's home,told the BBC: 'When I came out,I saw Rebecca running towards my house on fire,shouting: help me.
'As I went to look for water and started calling out for help,her assailant appeared again and doused more petrol on her.'
Barabara added she could not eat for days after witnessing the incident from mere metres away,saying solemnly she had never seen anyone 'burned alive'.
Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei (left) pictured with her ex-boyfriend Dickson Ndiema (right),who allegedly doused her in petrol and set her alight
Renowned athletics TV commentator Rob Walker wrote on X: 'I've witnessed great progress in East Africa over last 20 years. But the treatment of successful female athletes by jealous husbands/boyfriends must now be addressed. This is utterly appalling.'
Reported attacks on women have been on the rise in Kenya and the country's sports minister Kipchumba Murkomen added: 'This tragedy is a stark reminder of the urgent need to combat gender-based violence,which has increasingly affected even elite sports.'
Fellow Ugandan runner James Kirwa said: 'She was a very affable person. She helped us all even financially and she brought me training shoes when she came back from the Olympics. She was like an older sister to me.'
Cheptegei's funeral will be held on September 14,organisers said Sunday.
Meanwhile,the city of Paris has announced it wants to honour the late Ugandan runner by naming a sports venue after her.
The proposal was announced by city mayor Anne Hidalgo on Friday and will be discussed by city officials in October.
'Paris will not forget her and we will dedicate a sports venue to her,so that her memory and her story will remain among us,and help us carry even stronger the message of equality,which is a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games,' Hidalgo said.
City hall said in a statement,'Paris joins its elected representatives in expressing its support for the family of the athlete,victim of a femicide a few weeks after her participation in the Olympic Games.'
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