Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced that the city will honor Rebecca Cheptegei, the late Ugandan Olympic marathon runner, by naming a sports venue after her.
The 33-year former world champion, who had finished 44th in the marathon at the recent Paris Olympics, tragically passed away last Thursday, September 5. She succumbed to severe burns sustained from an attack in Uganda, where she was doused with petrol and set on fire by a man described by her family as her ex-boyfriend.
The proposal to name a sports venue after Cheptegei is set to be discussed by Parisian city officials in October. Mayor Hidalgo emphasized the symbolic significance of this gesture, stating that Cheptegei’s remarkable presence in Paris—marked by her beauty, strength, and freedom—will be immortalized through this tribute.
Hidalgo highlighted that Cheptegei’s story and the message of equality she represents will continue to inspire and remind the city of its commitment to the values embodied by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Cheptegei’s death follows a troubling pattern of violence against female athletes in the region. In recent years, Kenyan runners Agnes Tirop and Damaris Mutua were also killed in attacks allegedly perpetrated by their partners. Tirop’s murder in October 2021 led to widespread protests, with athletes demanding stronger laws and support systems to address gender-based violence.
The tragic events surrounding Cheptegei’s death occurred during a week of heightened awareness of femicide. In Nigeria, Christianah Idowu, 300-level student of Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta was kidnapped and killed by her friend, Ayomide Adeleye, a 200-level student at the Olabisi Onabanjo University.
These femicides elicited reactions on social media across sub-saharan Africa with Grammy-award nominee, Ayra Starr also joining on X. She posted, “Stop Killing Us! Stop raping us! Women deserve better #JusticeForChristianah”
Statistics from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2022 reveal that nearly 41% of Kenyan women have faced physical or sexual violence from current or former partners. This reflects a broader, disturbing trend in Sub-Saharan Africa, where, as of 2018, over 20% of women reported similar experiences, and by 2023, approximately one in three African women have been victims of sexual violence in their lifetime.
