Two-time World Championship bronze medallist Agnes Tirop has been found stabbed to death at her home in Kenya.
The 25-year-old won bronze medals at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships in the 10,000m, also winning the 2015 World Cross Country Championships.
Chairperson of Athletics Kenya in the Nairobi Region, Barnaba Korir, confirmed the tragic news of the incident which occurred in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Reports state that she was found in her house with stab wounds to her abdomen, with a statement from Athletics Kenya reading: ‘Tirop 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.’
Statement from Athletics Kenya
Athletics Kenya are this afternoon distraught to learn about the untimely death of World 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Tirop.
Tirop 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.
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.
Just last month, she broke the women-only record in the women’s 10km at Road to Records in Germany, timing 30:01.
Las week, she finished an impressive second, timing 30:20 at the Valencia Half Marathon.
Tirop’s decorated CV also includes a World Cross Country title in 2015 during which she made history as the second youngest medallist at that level.
She also won the Africa Cross Country Championship in 2014 in Kampala, Uganda as well as the World Junior Cross Country Championship in 2013 in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
We pray that God may grant strength to family and friends at this difficult time.
Tirop had set a new women-only 10km world record just last month in Germany, crossing the line in 30:01, saying: ‘I am so happy to break the world record. The pace was tough but I felt my body was responding well.’
The distance-runner represented Kenya at the Tokyo Olympics this summer in the 5,000m, where she finished fourth on 2 August this year.
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She narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal despite running a season best time of 14:39.62 in the 5,000m, with Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay crossing in 14:38.87.
Tirop’s triumph at the 2015 World Cross Country Championships at just 19-years-old made her the second-youngest winner of the women’s race ever, behind the legendary Zola Budd.
Tirop had travelled the world winning medals with Kenya, claiming bronze in the 5,000m at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona in 2012 and winning gold in the junior team race at the World Cross Country Championships in Poland the following year.
Her Cross County glory in 2015 came in Guiyang, China, before World Championship medals in the UK and Qatar.
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