The city of Paris will pay tribute to the late Ugandan Olympic runner Rebecca Cheptegei by naming a sports venue in her honor, as announced by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo on Friday.
Cheptegei, who competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics last month, tragically died from severe burns inflicted by her boyfriend at her home in Kenya.
The attack occurred on Thursday, with Cheptegei suffering 80 percent burns.
“She dazzled us here in Paris.
We witnessed her beauty, her strength, and her freedom, qualities that, it seems, were intolerable to her murderer,” Hidalgo remarked to reporters.
“Paris will remember her.
We will dedicate a sports venue to her to ensure that her legacy endures and continues to promote the message of equality that the Olympic and Paralympic Games embody,” Hidalgo added.
Cheptegei, 33, made her Olympic debut in the women’s marathon in Paris, where she placed 44th. She was attacked by her Kenyan partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, in front of her children.
