Paris 2024 organisers have paid tribute to Ugandan marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who was killed last week after her former boyfriend set her on fire in Eldoret, Kenya.
The tributes come after Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced on Friday that a Paris sporting venue will be named after Cheptegei in her honour.
Her death has shocked the sporting world, with tributes pouring in from athletes, including Australian silver medallist Madison de Rozario.
“The fact that we’re still in a place where women who are so dominant in their field are still as susceptible to anyone else is horrifying, and it’s heartbreaking,” de Rozario said.
“One of the things that we do know though is that girls and women who do participate in sport and men who engage with women’s sport, that combination is less likely to engage in domestic violence.”
“Men who follow women’s sports as fans and are able to respect women as athletes, that does carry over to how they view the women in their lives.”
“From a Paralympic perspective, Olympic perspective, eyes on screens, I think putting women into positions of respect that men already occupy does change how we view the women in their lives.”
Organisers of the Paris 2024 partnered with International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, Para World Athletics and World Athletics to air a short spoken eulogy on the public address system after the T54 and T12 marathons over the weekend. The tribute also displayed a photo of Cheptegei, a mother of two, who died after suffering from extensive burns.
The announcer referred to the 33-year old as a victim of femicide, and asked the crowd for a minute’s applause in memory of Cheptegei, who had made her Olympic debut last month, finishing in 44th place.
Fellow athlete Marcel Hug said it was critical for the Paralympic movement to address the issue of violence against women.
“It’s terrible, and we should really try to avoid violence like this,” Hug said in an interview with Olympics.com.
“I didn’t personally know her, but she was a good person, and it’s so sad. It’s a good opportunity to think of her here at the Paralympics. We should send a message out against violence like this.”
Another Swiss athlete, Catherine Debrunner also spoke out about Cheptegei’s tragic death, describing it as “a really big shock.”
“I don’t really have the words for it. We should not take it for granted what we can do here,” she said.
British Olympian runner Eilish McColgan described the young athlete’s death as “heart-breaking.”
“Even more heart-breaking that it’s not the first time the athletics community has lost such an incredible female athlete to domestic violence,” she wrote on X.
South African Louzanne Coetzee wrote: “It’s really sad what happened to her and my heart goes out to her family.”
“As women in sport, we should aim to prevent that from happening.”
Kenya’s Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said the tragedy is “a stark reminder of the urgent need to combat gender-based violence, which has increasingly affected even elite sports.”
Uganda’s athletics federation expressed their shock on social media, writing: “We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our athlete, Rebecca Cheptegei early this morning who tragically fell victim to domestic violence. As a federation, we condemn such acts and call for justice. May her soul rest In Peace.”
Donald Rukare, the head of Uganda’s Olympic committee, said on X: “This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure.”
Cheptegei’s death comes after the murders of fellow East African athletes including Agnes Tirop in October 2021 and Kenyan-born Bahrainian athlete Damaris Mutua in April 2022 — both women are believed to have been killed by their male partners.
Tirop had set a new women’s only 10km road running world record just five weeks before she was killed at her home in Iten, Kenya. Less than six months later, Mutua was found dead in a suspected domestic violence incident — also in Iten.
After Tirop’s death, a group called Tirop’s Angels was created to fight gender-based violence in the East African country. Since Cheptegei’s death, they have visited her home to provide support for her family and continue to hold monthly meetings and counselling sessions for those affected.
Image: Olympics.com