UPDATE 10/15/21 5:07 A.M. PST: Authorities shared that they’ve caught the person suspected of stabbing Tirop. According to law enforcement, Ibrahim Rotich, the runner’s husband, stabbed her to death and then went into hiding. Officials eventually captured him, and he’s in custody being questioned. We’ll continue to keep you updated as we learn more.
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[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Olympic star Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death in her Kenya home on Wednesday. She was just 25 years old.
The elite long-distance runner, who finished in fourth place during the women’s 5,000-meter final at the Tokyo Olympics, was discovered by police after her father called authorities when he could not get in touch with her. According to BBC, cops arrived at the Iten, Kenya residence to discover Tirop laying in bed surrounded by a pool of her own blood. Nobody else was home at the time.
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Police believe the cause of death was a stab wound to her neck likely inflicted by a knife. They also reported a stab wound on her stomach. Currently, investigators are looking for Tirop’s husband, deemed a “suspect” in the case because he has not been seen or heard from since Agnes’ passing. A criminal investigation is underway. Tom Makori, the head of police in the area, told BBC:
“Her husband is still at large, and preliminary investigations tell us her husband is a suspect because he cannot be found. Police are trying to find her husband so he can explain what happened to Tirop.”
The athlete was one of the best and most promising runners in the world. Just last month, she set a women’s world record at a 10-kilometer race in Germany. Before competing in the Tokyo Olympics (above), she also took home bronze medals at the World Athletic Championships in 2017 and 2019. For someone so young, she had already accomplished so much and was bound to continue breaking more records. It’s so sad that she will no longer be able to live out those dreams.
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In the wake of this tragic news, the country’s athletics body released a statement, expressing:
“Athletics Kenya are distraught to learn about the untimely death of World 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Tirop.”
Kenya’s president, Uhuru Kenyatta, also weighed in on the loss, saying:
“It is unsettling, utterly unfortunate and very sad that we’ve lost a young and promising athlete who, at a young age of 25 years, had brought our country so much glory.”
Adidas, whom the runner partnered with, paid tribute to the late star on Twitter, writing:
“The Adidas family is deeply saddened by the tragic news about Agnes Jebet Tirop. Agnes was an incredible person, a record-breaking athlete and a beloved member of our family. She will be greatly missed by us all and her legacy will forever live on in our memory.”
The adidas family is deeply saddened by the tragic news about Agnes Jebet Tirop.
Agnes was an incredible person, a record breaking athlete and a beloved member of our family.
She will be greatly missed by us all and her legacy will forever live on in our memory. #AgnesTirop pic.twitter.com/VXZQhdw6HL
— adidas Running (@adidasrunning) October 13, 2021
We’re thinking of Agnes’ family as they mourn this untimely death. R.I.P.