Olympics 2024 Participant Suffers Burns on 75% of Body Following Dispute with Boyfriend

Rebecca Cheptegei, an Olympic runner from Uganda set to compete in the 2024 Games, is in critical condition after an altercation with her boyfriend.

According to The Guardian, Cheptegei's boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, attacked the athlete at her home in Kenya on September 1st. During the dispute, allegedly over the land on which her house is built, Ndiema is said to have bought a can of gasoline, poured it on Cheptegei, and set her on fire.

Rebecca Cheptegei was rushed to the hospital subsequent to the attack, where doctors diagnosed her with burns covering 75% of her body. The suspected assailant also suffered burns from the fire.

At the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Cheptegei participated in the marathon, completing the distance in 2 hours, 32 minutes, and 14 seconds, finishing in 44th place.