Paris to Honor Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei

The city of Paris plans to honor the late Ugandan Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei by naming a sports venue after her, a proposal announced by Mayor Anne Hidalgo and set for discussion in October. Cheptegei, 33, tragically died from burns covering 80% of her body after being attacked by her former partner in Kenya just weeks following her participation in the Paris Olympics, where she finished 44th in the women's marathon. Hidalgo emphasized that the venue dedication aims to keep Cheptegei's memory alive and promote the message of equality central to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The incident has raised concerns about gender-based violence, with Cheptegei being the third prominent female athlete killed in Kenya since late 2021. UN Women highlights the alarming frequency of intimate partner violence, noting that a woman or girl is killed every 11 minutes worldwide. The tragedy has sparked discussions on enhancing safeguarding measures within sports to protect female athletes from violence.