Paris to honour murdered Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei

Paris is to honour murdered Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei by naming a sports venue after her, according to the French capital's Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Cheptegei, who competed in the women's marathon during the Paris Olympics last month, succumbed to severe burns on Thursday after being doused with petrol and set on fire by her boyfriend at her home in Kenya.

At the weekend, Hidalgo told reporters: "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".

"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," Hidalgo added.

Taking to social media platform X, the Paris city hall posted, "Paris joins forces with Parisian elected officials to express its support for the family of the athlete, victim of femicide a few weeks after her participation in the Olympic Games".

'Violent murder'

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

Police and doctors say she was left with 80 percent burns after being attacked in front of her two children the previous Sunday by her Kenyan partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach.

Her death – which the United Nations has described as a "violent murder" – triggered widespread condemnation.

Read more on RFI English

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