Mourning As World U20 Champion, Athlete Passes Away
Kenya is mourning the loss of another talented athlete, Kipyegon Bett, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 26. Bett, the 2016 World U20 800m champion, succumbed to complications from a liver disease while undergoing treatment at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet County.
Bett had fallen ill about a month ago and initially received outpatient care at AIC Litein Hospital. However, his condition deteriorated last Saturday, prompting his transfer to Tenwek Hospital, where he sadly passed away.
His sister, Purity Kirui, a Commonwealth Games steeplechase champion, confirmed the tragic news. She explained that the family sought further medical assistance after Bett’s condition worsened in hopes of saving his life.
Athletics Kenya’s Director of Youth and Development, Barnaba Korir, who had been in close contact with the family, also confirmed Bett’s untimely demise. Reports indicate that Bett had been vomiting blood, a sign of severe liver and internal organ damage.
Bett’s athletic career was filled with promise. He captured the world’s attention when he clinched a bronze medal in the 800m race at the 2017 World Athletics Championships and a silver medal in the 2017 World Athletics Relay Championships. Despite a doping ban in 2018, which derailed his career for four years, Bett returned to the track in 2022, competing in the 400m hurdles and securing a third-place finish in the Kenya Track Meeting.
His death leaves a void in Kenyan athletics, with the nation grieving the loss of a young athlete who had shown great potential in his prime years.
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Mourning As World U20 Champion, Athlete Passes Away
