The husband of Kenyan long-distance runner Agnes Tirop has been arrested after the 25-year-old was found stabbed to death at her home earlier this week.
Tirop - a two-time World Championship bronze medallist who placed fourth in the women's 5,000 m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics - was found dead on Wednesday, with her husband initially being treated as a suspect in the case.
The 25-year-old's partner has since been arrested by Kenyan Police and identified as Ibrahim Rotich, with a statement on Twitter reading: "The prime suspect in the gruesome murder of 25-year-old world 5,000 m record holder Agnes Tirop, has been arrested.
"Ibrahim Rotich, who was in a relationship with the athlete was arrested moments ago in Changamwe, Mombasa county, as he tried to flee to a neighbouring country to evade justice.
The prime suspect in the gruesome murder of 25-year-old world 5,000m record holder Agnes Tirop, has been arrested. Ibrahim Rotich, who was in a relationship with the athlete was arrested moments ago in Changamwe, Mombasa county, as he tried to flee to a neighboring pic.twitter.com/G2OrhlaM8X
— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) October 14, 2021
"Rotich is believed to have killed the two-time World Athletics championships bronze medallist, by stabbing her before going into hiding. Tirop's lifeless body was found lying on her bed Wednesday morning in Iten, with visible stab wounds on her abdomen.
"Earlier in the day at around noon, Rotich had rammed his getaway vehicle into a lorry at Athi River, along Mombasa road, as he desperately escaped out dragnet. The suspect is currently being grilled by detectives at Changamwe police station, for more details into the murder before being arraigned to answer to murder charges."
Tirop was also a world-record holder in the women's only 10 km road race, setting a time of 30:01 in Germany just last month.
