16 May 2011
Reigning Olympic marathon champion, Kenya’s Sammy Wanjiru, has died after falling from the second floor of his Rift Valley home in Nyahururu after an argument with his wife. Police discovered his body lying on the verandah with a broken skull.
Police say the theory surrounding his death, which came from his wife and watchman, is that Wanjiru came home drunk from a bar with another woman. When his wife asked him about the woman, they started to argue and he fell off the balcony and died.
Police are also investing whether the runner may have jumped rather than fell.
“There are two theories we are investigating,” said local police chief Jasper Ombati. “We cannot conclusively say he committed suicide, or that he jumped down and died accidentially.”
Over the past few months, Wanjiru appeared to have had marital problems and was involved in a serious car crash in January.
He was due to appear before a Nyahururu court next Monday accused of possession of an illegal firearm.
The 24-year-old won the gold medal in Beijing in 2008 in an Olympic record time, becoming Kenya’s first marathon champion.
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Kenya: Police Investigate Death of Olympic Champion Wanjiru