Paris to Honour Fallen Ugandan Olympic Runner with Sports Venue Naming

Rebecca Cheptegei, the 33-year-old Ugandan Olympic runner who tragically lost her life after being set ablaze by her partner in Kenya, is set to be honoured by the city of Paris. The city’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, announced on Friday that a sports venue will be dedicated to the athlete, a decision that will be discussed by elected city officials in October.

Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics less than a month ago, finishing 44th. Her untimely death has sent shockwaves around the world, with the city of Paris expressing its support for her family. “Paris joins its elected representatives in expressing its support for the family of the athlete, victim of a femicide a few weeks after she participates in the Olympic Games,” Paris city hall said in a statement.

According to Trans Nzoia County Police Commander Jeremiah ole Kosiom, Cheptegei’s partner, Dickson Ndiema, attacked her with a can of gasoline during a disagreement last Sunday, causing 80% of her body to be burned. Ndiema was also injured in the attack and is being treated at the same hospital.

The disturbing statistics on gender-based violence are stark. Every 11 minutes on average, a woman or girl is killed by an intimate partner or family member somewhere in the world, according to figures from UN Women and the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime.

In her tribute to Cheptegei, Hidalgo said, “We saw her, her beauty, her strength, her freedom. Paris will not forget her, and we will dedicate a sports venue to her, so that her memory and her story will be present among us.”