Photo: Bildbyrån
The entire athletics world is in shock after the brutal murder of Rebecca Cheptegei.
Now Armand Duplantis has commented on the terrible tragedy – and he says exactly what everyone is thinking.
– It’s terrible and something you hate to see, he says at a press conference.
It was an incredible tragedy that shook the entire world of athletics. On September 1, the Olympic marathon runner was attacked Rebecca Cheptegei33, by a man with whom she had a relationship. He first poured petrol on her outside their residence in Kenya and then set fire to her body.
Earlier this week, the news broke that Cheptegei – who came 44th in this summer’s Olympic marathon – had died in hospital due to his severe burns. The suspected killer Dickson Ndiema was seriously injured during the incident and he died a couple of days later than Rebecca Cheptegei.
Duplantis: “Seems absolutely brutal”
Her tragic fate has caused the whole world to feel great sadness. One who reacted strongly to the death is the Swedish superstar Armand “Mondo” Duplantis24. At a press conference ahead of the Diamond League gala in Brussels, he railed against this kind of limitless, deadly violence.
– It’s terrible and something you hate to see. I don’t have all the information but it seems absolutely brutal. It’s simply bullshit, he says.
It wasn’t just the pole vault star who spoke out about the tragic death attack. The Dutch sprint expert Femke Bol also complained about what happened.
– It’s terrible and news you never want to read. There are many sad feelings, she says.
Buried in home country
Rebecca Cheptegei may have been murdered in Kenya where she lived, but she will be buried in her native Uganda on Saturday. She is the third female elite athlete in Kenya to be murdered since October 2021.
Various women’s rights organizations have reported that sportswomen in the country are at greater risk of being exposed to domestic violence and of being exploited by men who want access to their money. Sportswomen’s salaries are generally higher than others’, The Guardian states.
READ MORE: Karsten Warholm’s unexpected confession after the super duel against Armand Duplantis – why the Norwegian lost: “Haft it in the ass”
It is such a terribly unimaginable tragedy. How can you do that to another person?
Good that “Mondo” dares to come forward and talk about it. Big kudos to him.
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