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A junior athlete collapsed and died in Kaptagat after taking a meal prompting an ongoing police investigation.
The athletics fraternity is in mourning after an athlete collapsed and died after taking a meal in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Willy Chelewa passed away under unclear circumstances on Monday evening after consuming a meal at a local hotel where he had been residing while undergoing training.
County Police Commander Peter Mulinge confirmed that Chelewa, who recently participated in the Nairobi City Marathon, collapsed shortly after taking black tea and rice.
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Efforts to save the athlete were in vain as he was pronounced dead on the spot.
“Police are currently at the hotel investigating the incident and have collected samples of the meals he took before collapsing,” The Star reported.
According to the hotel management, they promptly alerted the authorities, and investigations into the cause of death are ongoing.
Chelewa had finished the Nairobi City Marathon half marathon in a time of 65 minutes and 30 seconds, securing 67th position.
He had recently attracted the attention of an international sponsor from China, which was expected to open new opportunities for him in the global athletics arena.
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His future in athletics was looking bright, and his sudden death has sent shockwaves through the local and national sporting community.
Chelewa had been using the hotel as his base while training in Kaptagat, an area known for its high-altitude training camps frequented by both local and international athletes.
It was after one of his usual meals in the hotel that he collapsed and died, adding to a growing list of unexplained athlete fatalities in the area.
Just a few years ago, another athlete, David Kiprotich, collapsed and died under similar circumstances while training in Kaptagat.
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In 2020, Kiprotich had been participating in an early morning training session with his colleagues when he suddenly collapsed.
Despite being rushed to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret by a Good Samaritan, Kiprotich was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Kaptagat, which is renowned as a training hub for elite athletes, has now seen multiple cases of athletes collapsing during or after training in recent years.
These incidents have raised concerns within the athletics community with some wondering if environmental or other contributing factors may be at play.
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Authorities are treating Chelewa's death with urgency and are keen to determine whether the food or other underlying medical conditions were the cause of his demise.
Samples of the food he consumed before collapsing have been taken for testing, and the post-mortem results are expected to shed light on the circumstances surrounding his death.
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