Athletics World Mourns: Kipyegon Bett, U20 World Champion in 800m, Dies at 26

Kipyegon Bett was a U20 world champion in the 800m in 2016 in Bydgoszcz, Poland, and won bronze in the 800m at the 2017 U20 World Championships

The global athletics community mourns the death of Kenyan middle-distance runner Kipyegon Bett, who passed away at the age of 26 after a brief illness. Bett was the 800m U20 world champion in 2016 in Bydgoszcz, Poland, and secured a bronze medal in the 800m at the 2017 U20 World Championships held in London.

However, in 2018, Bett was handed a four-year ban for doping. His suspension came in August 2018 after he refused to provide a sample and later tested positive for the banned substance erythropoietin (EPO).

Bett passed away in Bomet County, Kenya. He had been in and out of the hospital in the past month, suffering from severe stomach pain.

His sister, Purity Kirui, told BBC Sport Africa: “He was sick, complaining of stomach pains for about a month. The doctors said he had a liver problem, and he was in and out of the hospital. Last week, we took him to the hospital after he started vomiting blood, and he was admitted immediately. I went to see him last Sunday morning, and he told me he was in pain. He told our father, who is a pastor, to pray for him because he didn’t feel like he would survive, and afternoon, he passed away. We did everything we could to save him, but he left us. It’s very painful.”

Rest in peace, Kipyegon Bett.

The former junior 800m world champion has died following a short illness. pic.twitter.com/sCjAz0TuVB

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 7, 2024

Kirui, a steeplechase runner, mentioned that Bett’s doping ban at the age of 20 had deeply affected him.

“When Kipyegon was banned, he started drinking heavily, wasn’t eating well, and became depressed,” Kirui said.

“We tried to help him stop drinking, but whenever we wanted to take him to a rehabilitation center, he would disappear from home for many days.”

Bett’s ban ended in August 2022, but he struggled to return to a sport where he was once respected.

Kenya Athletics Federation official Barnaba Korir described Bett as “one of the most talented middle-distance runners” in the world and as a “kind, gentle, and extremely friendly” athlete.

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