Kipyegon Bett, the former world under-20 athletics champion, has passed away at the age of 26 in Bomet, Kenya, following a brief illness. The talented 800m specialist claimed his junior world title in 2016 and secured a bronze medal at the senior World Championships in London the following year.
Bett’s promising career was interrupted in 2018 when he received a four-year doping ban, and he faced challenges during his return to competition.
His sister, Purity Kirui, shared with BBC Sport Africa that Bett had been suffering from stomach pains for about a month. “The doctors said he had a liver problem and he had been in and out of the hospital,” she explained.
“Last week, we took him to the hospital after he started vomiting blood, and he was admitted. I visited him on Sunday morning, and he told me he was in pain. He asked our dad, who is a pastor, to pray for him because he felt he wouldn’t survive. He passed away shortly after noon. We tried everything to save him, but it’s very painful to lose him.”
Athletics Kenya official Barnaba Korir remembered Bett as “one of the most talented half-milers” in the world, describing him as a “polite, easy-going, and extremely amiable” athlete.
