Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei dies days after being set alight by ex-boyfriend

Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei has died days after being doused in petrol and set on fire by a former boyfriend, the BBC reports.

The 33-year-old Ugandan marathon runner, who competed in the recent Paris Olympics, had suffered extensive burns after Sunday’s attack.

The authorities in north-west Kenya, where Cheptegei lived and trained, said she was targeted after returning home from church.

A report filed by a local administrator alleged the athlete and her ex-partner had been wrangling over a piece of land. Police say an investigation is under way.