Kenyan Olympic runner Agnes Tirop found dead
25-year-old athlete was allegedly stabbed by her husband
Kenyan distance runner Agnes Tirop 25-year-old, a two-times World Championship bronze medallist was found dead in her home in Kenya just 10 days after her last race in Switzerland. Athletics Kenya said on Wednesday.
Agnes Tirop represented Kenya in the 5,000m event at the Tokyo Olympics and finished fourth in the finals.
“The 25 year was found dead at their home in Iten after she was allegedly stabbed by her husband. We are still working to unearth more details surrounding her demise,” Athletics Kenya said in a statement.
In September 2021, Tirop shattered a long-standing women-only 10km world record at the Adizero Road To Records event in Germany.
Her last race was on 3 October at the ‘The Giants Geneva, Genève 10km run’ where she finished third.
“Kenya has lost a jewel who was one of the fastest-rising athletics giants on the international stage, thanks to her eye-catching performances on the track.”
Local police said Tirop’s husband was a suspect.
“We received a message from the family of Tirop’s husband that the husband had telephoned the parents while crying and asking for God’s forgiveness as had done something bad,” Tom Makori, Keiyo North Sub County Police Commander, told the private-owned NTV Kenya Television.
“When police went to Tirop’s house they found her in bed with blood under the bed and a lot of it on the floor.
“When police looked at the body, it looked like she had been stabbed on the neck with what we suspect to be a knife.”
Several of her teammates expressed shock at her demise.
“The forever luminous smile and face shall forever be in our hearts. You were humble, joyful and always a shining and majestic runner,” posted the 2015 World champion Julius Yego.
“I can’t believe it, my friend Agnes Tirop, posted Hellen Obiri, the double Olympic silver medallist who raced with her several times including at the Olympic race.
