Agnes Tirop finishes fourth in the 5000 meters at the Tokyo Olympics
The Kenyan athlete Agnes Tirop, a two-time world medalist in the 10,000 meters and fourth in the Tokyo Olympics in the 5000 meters, was stabbed to death, Kenyan sports officials said on Wednesday.
Tirop, 25, a star in her country's athletics, had just broken the world record for the 10 kilometers a month ago in an exclusively women's race with a time of 30 minutes and 1 second in Herzogenaurach (Germany).
The athlete won the bronze medal at the World Championships in 10,000 meters in 2017 and 2019, and had become the cross country world champion in 2015.
Agnes Tirop was found dead, stabbed in the abdomen, in her home at the altitude training center in Iten, western Kenya.
"Kenya lost a diamond. She was one of the fastest progressing athletes on the international scene, thanks to her outstanding performances on the track,"
deplored the local Athletics Federation in a statement.
"We continue to work to determine the circumstances of her death,"
added the note.
A senior police officer from Keiyo North, Tom Makori, admitted to AFP that the possible involvement of the victim's husband, Emmanuel Rotich, is being investigated.
"He can explain to us what happened. The suspect made a call to Tirop's parents claiming that he had done something wrong, so we believe he knows what happened,"
explained Makori. AFP