A Ugandan athlete was set on fire by her boyfriend after returning from Olympic games.

Rebecca Cheptegei, a Ugandan athlete living in Kenya, is being treated for severe burns after being set on fire by her lover, according to police reports.

Cheptegei, a distance runner who placed 44th at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was attacked at her house in Trans Nzoia County.

Jeremiah ole Kosiom, Trans Nzoia County Police Commander, revealed that the incident occurred following an argument on Sunday.

Dickson Ndiema, Cheptegei’s lover, allegedly bought a jerrican of petrol and poured it on the Ugandan athlete, setting her on fire. Ndiema also was burned during the incident. Cheptegei and Ndiema are now undergoing specialized care at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.

Cheptegei’s parents stated that their daughter had purchased land in Trans Nzoia to be near the county’s athletic training facilities. According to the village chief, the couple was heard squabbling over the land before the fire broke out.

This tragedy comes after other unfortunate situations involving athletes in the region. In 2023, Ugandan Olympic runner Benjamin Kiplagat was found dead with knife wounds, and in 2022, Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Damaris Muthee was discovered dead, with a postmortem finding that she had been strangled.