AceShowbiz - Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, who finished 44th in the women's marathon at the 2024 Paris Olympics, is fighting for her life as she sustained burns over 75 percent of her body after her boyfriend Dickson Ndiema allegedly doused her in gasoline and set her ablaze. The attack took place at her home in Trans Nzoia County, western Kenya, during a dispute on Sunday, September 1.

According to Trans Nzoia County Police Commander, Jeremiah ole Kosiom, the incident happened during a quarrel between Cheptegei and Ndiema over the land on which her home was built. "The couple were heard quarreling outside their house," Kosiom told journalists, per BBC. "During the altercation, the boyfriend was seen pouring a liquid on the woman before burning her."

Ndiema also sustained serious burns in the fire, and both were rescued by neighbors and transported to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret for treatment. Police have collected a five-liter jerrican and a burned mobile phone for forensic analysis as part of their ongoing investigation.

Cheptegei's parents revealed that their daughter had purchased land in Trans Nzoia to be near its athletic training centers, an indication of her commitment to her sport.

Disturbingly, this is not the first time violence has struck the African athletic community. In 2023, Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamin Kiplagat was found dead with stab wounds, and in 2022, Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee was found dead due to strangulation.

Rebecca Cheptegei's athletic career began in 2010, and she has since made significant accomplishments, including winning the Padova Marathon in April 2022 and securing second place in the women's 10,000-meter run at the Ugandan Championships in Kampala. The sports world now holds its breath, hoping for her recovery and seeking justice for this brutal act.

If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.