Rebecca Cheptegei: List of Achievements of Ugandan Athlete Set on Fire

Rebecca Cheptegei: List of Achievements of Ugandan Athlete Set on Fire

  • Rebecca Cheptegei sustained life-threatening burns after her ex-lover allegedly set her on fire on September 1
  • The two have reportedly had a longstanding disagreement over a piece of land before the unfortunate turn of events
  • Legit.ng looks at some of the achievements of the Ugandan athlete who represented Uganda at the recent Olympics

The world is still reeling from shock after the worst form of humanity depicted itself in Western Kenya on Sunday.

Rebecca Cheptegei, an Olympian from Uganda, is currently fighting for her life at an Eldoret hospital after her ex-lover, Dickson Ndiema, allegedly set her on fire.

Rebecca Cheptegei, Paris 2024 Olympics, Rebecca Cheptegei set on fire
Uganda's Rebecca Cheptegei puts an ice bag on her head during the women's marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 11, 2024. Photo by Kirill Kudryavtsev.
Source: Getty Images

Ugandan athlete set on fire

Cheptegei was reportedly waylaid by the suspect as she was coming from church with her children. She was doused with petrol before being left for dead. Doctors have reported her condition as critical, having suffered 80 per cent burns.

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Legit.ng looks at some of the achievements of the athlete.

Who is Rebecca Cheptegei?

Cheptegei is a Ugandan long-distance runner who lives and trains in Kenya. She is also an officer with the Ugandan People's Defence Force.

Her latest addition to her long CV came last month when she represented Uganda at the Olympic Games in Paris. She finished 44th in the women's marathon, which Sifan Hassan won.

She began her career in 2010, specializing in middle-distance running. She won the 1500m event at the München Pfingstmeeting in Munich before returning home and winning the 10,000m race in Kampala.

Cheptegei at world cross country championships

The seasoned cross-country runner was 55th at the 2011 World Championships in Punta Umbria. She put aside the disappointing performance to finish second in the Madrid half marathon. Cheptegei was also second at the Cantalejo half-marathon.

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Nigeria secure first medal at Paris 2024 Paralympic Games in France

Between 2011 and 2022, the Ugandan competed in the 10km, 1500m, and half-marathon races, posting mixed results. She won the 10km race at Santa Pola in 2014 before taking third place at the Quanzhou half marathon in China.

First win and Uganda's history books

Her first win came in 2022 when she won the Padova marathon in Italy. She set a time of 2:31:21. Her best marathon performance was the 2:22:47 she used to finish second in the Abu Dhabi marathon in December 2022.

That time places her as the second-fastest female Ugandan marathoner of all time, according to World Athletics stats.

Cheptegei was third at the Firenze marathon in Italy in November 2023 before heading to her first Olympics in Paris.

Tebogo wins men's 100m final

In another publication, Legit.ng reported that Botswana sprinter Letsile Tebogo is not stopping as he stormed to an impressive win in the men's 100m at Rome's Diamond League athletics meet.

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Nigeria vs Korea: Falconets secure crucial win in FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup opener

The 200m Olympic champion was one of the favourites ahead of the race on Friday, August 30, 2024, and didn't disappoint.

The race featured Marcell Jacobs, the Olympic champion in Tokyo 2020, and three American sprinters, Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, and Kyree King.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Authors:
Chukwu Ikechukwu avatar

Chukwu Ikechukwu (Sports Editor) Chukwu Ikechukwu Godwin is a seasoned sports journalist with over a decade of experience across radio, TV, and online media. His career has seen him contribute his expertise to prominent media outlets such as Today FM, Wish FM, Silverbird Communications, and Sports Brief. Chukwu earned his Bachelor's degree in Agriculture from the University of Port Harcourt in 2016. Email: Chukwu.ikechukwu@corp.legit.ng

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