The late Ugandan Olympic runner, Rebecca Cheptegei, will be honored by the city of Paris with a sports venue named after her, as announced by the French capital’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo.
Cheptegei tragically passed away after a brutal attack by her boyfriend, resulting in severe burns.
“She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom, and it was in all likelihood her beauty, strength and freedom which were intolerable for the person who committed this murder,” Hidalgo told reporters.
“Paris will not forget her. We’ll dedicate a sports venue to her so that her memory and her story remains among us and helps carry the message of equality, which is a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Hidalgo added.
Despite the difficult circumstances, Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics and finished 44th.
Her legacy will be remembered and celebrated in Paris through this gesture of naming a sports venue in her honor.