The husband of Kenyan record-breaking runner Agnes Tirop, who was stabbed to death in a killing that has shocked her home country and the world of athletics, was due in court Friday after a dramatic late-night arrest.

Emmanuel Rotich was detained in the coastal city of Mombasa on Thursday over the death of the 25-year-old double world championships medallist and Olympian.

A senior police official in Mombasa told AFP that Rotich would appear in court and prosecutors were likely to ask for more time “to firm up a case against him” during hearing.

“Given how tense the ground is in Iten, it is unlikely we will have him charged there,” the official said referring to the western town where the couple lived.

Police cornered Rotich in Mombasa, using his mobile number to track him down after he used his old SIM card in his new phone after spending days offline, one of the investigating officers told AFP.

Tributes have poured in for Tirop since her body was found with stab wounds in the bedroom of their home in Iten, a high-altitude training hub for many top-class athletes.

Athletics Kenya said it was postponing events for two weeks in honour of Tirop and another runner who was found dead at the weekend of an apparent suicide.

Athletics Kenya president Jackson Tuwei said Tirop’s death was a “huge blow” to athletics, describing her as “one of the fastest rising stars” and voicing hope for speedy justice.

Tirop was killed just a month after she smashed the women’s 10,000 metres world record at an event in Germany.

She had previously won world championship medals, finished fourth in the 5,000 metres at the Tokyo Olympics this year and became the second-youngest gold medallist in the women’s cross country championships in 2015.

– Family breadwinner –

Her family told reporters she was their breadwinner, paying for children’s school fees and clothes.

President Uhuru Kenyatta paid tribute to Tirop, who would have turned 26 later this month, saying she had “brought our country so much glory through her exploits on the global athletics stage”.

Her killing came days after another long-distance athlete Hosea Mwok Macharinyang, a member of Kenya’s record-breaking world cross country team, died of what athletics officials said was suicide.

Macharinyang, 35, had competed for Kenya in both cross country and 5,000 metre and 10,000 metre races. He won three consecutive titles in the World Cross Country Championships from 2006 to 2008.

Kenya is the most successful nation in the cross country championships, having won 49 team and 27 individual titles.

Source: AFP

Kenyan distance runner Agnes Tirop, a two-times World Championship bronze medallist, was found stabbed to death at her home, Athletics Kenya said on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old represented Kenya in the 5,000m event at the Tokyo Olympics and finished fourth in the finals.

“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,” Athletics Kenya said in a statement.

Local police said Tirop’s husband was a suspect.

“We received a message from the family of Tirop’s husband that the husband had phoned the parents while crying and asking that God forgive him as there is something bad he had done,” 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.”

Last month, Tirop smashed the women-only 10km world record in Germany, crossing the line in 30:01 to shave 28 seconds from the previous record held by Morocco’s Asmae Leghzaoui from 2002.

Tirop won bronze medals at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships in the 10,000m, and also won the 2015 World Cross Country Championships.

“It is even more painful that Agnes, a Kenyan hero by all measures, painfully lost her young life through a criminal act perpetuated by selfish and cowardly people,” Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta said in a statement.

“I urge our law enforcement agencies led by the National Police Service to track down and apprehend the criminals responsible for the killing of Agnes.”

(REUTERS)

Tyson Fury believes he is the greatest heavyweight of his era after producing a scintillating display to beat Deontay Wilder in a boxing classic on Saturday.

The 33-year-old undefeated Englishman recovered from two knockdowns against the hard-hitting Wilder before knocking out the American in the 11th round to retain his WBC crown.

“I know I’m the greatest heavyweight of my era, without doubt. Number one,” Fury said following an epic battle at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“I’ve fought the most devastating puncher in the history of our sport, not once, not twice, but three times.”

At a towering 6ft 9in tall and weighing in at 277lbs, Fury is unarguably one of the biggest heavyweight champions of all time.

Icons of the heavyweight division like Muhammad Ali or Joe Frazier would be giving away massive advantages in height and weight in any theoretical match-up with the reigning champion.

Fury was initially reluctant on Saturday to rank his chances against past greats.

“I don’t like competing with fighters from the past because it’s fantasy, not reality,” he said. “I can only beat the best of my day. And I’ve done that. I’m the best fighter in my era.

However, he later could not resist comparing himself favorably to the greatest heavyweights to have graced the division.

“There’s been so many of them, so many great champions,” he said.

“Without sounding too clever, I place myself at the top of the pile. I believe I can beat any man in history, any man.”

– ‘Magnificent’ –

Saturday’s thriller meanwhile left many at ringside struggling to think of a better heavyweight contest in boxing history.

“Listen, I’ve been in this business 57 years promoting fights and I truly have to say I have never seen a heavyweight fight as magnificent as this,” said Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum, who promoted 27 of Muhammad Ali’s fights including the 1975 classic “Thrilla in Manila” against Joe Frazier.

Frank Warren, Fury’s veteran English promoter, said Saturday’s bout was “boxing history.”

“It’s the best live heavyweight fight I’ve seen,” Warren said. “It was just amazing. Two warriors and just so absorbing. Tyson is the standout heavyweight of his generation.

“I have seen him box better. But the heart and the bravery he showed tonight were just amazing. Boxing should be proud of what he did tonight.”

Fury, who now plans to take a break from the sport before contemplating a potential unification fight with WBA, IBF and WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk, or British rival Anthony Joshua, insisted he had never felt in danger against Wilder.

“He caught me twice. But I was never like thinking ‘Uh oh, this is over.’ I thought ‘Okay, good shot — but I will get you back in a minute, and I did’,” he said.

“He shook me and he put me down, but that’s boxing. And that’s life as well — no matter how many times you get put down, it’s all about getting back up.”

Source: AFP

Lewis Hamilton dominated qualifying Saturday for the Turkish Grand Prix but his Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas will start the race from pole position.

Hamilton, the championship leader, set a new lap record three times in qualifying but because his team incurred a 10-place grid penalty by changing his engine ahead of the race he will start 11th.

His closest rival for the title, Dutchman Max Verstappen of Red Bull, will start alongside Bottas, a Finn, on the front row.

Hamilton improved his time in each of the three qualifying phases. After breaking the 16-year-old track record in practice on Friday he broke it again in each of the three qualifying sessions.

He finished the session with a time of 1min 22.868sec, 0.130sec ahead of Bottas with Verstappen 0.328 back.

Frenchmen Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari, and Pierre Gasly in an Alpha Tauri will start on the second row.

Veteran Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Mexican Sergio Perez of Red Bull occupy the next two places.

Source: AFP

Brazilian football legend Pele was released from hospital Thursday after undergoing surgery for a colon tumor, but will continue undergoing chemotherapy, his medical team said.

Pele, 80, had been receiving treatment at Albert Einstein Hospital in Sao Paulo since August 31, after a suspected tumor was detected during routine tests.

The player considered by many the greatest footballer of all time is in “stable” condition, doctors said.

(AFP)