Tragic death of Kipyegon Bett, great hope of the Kenyan 800m

The world of athletics is in mourning after former Kenyan 800m champion Kipyegon Bett passed away at the age of 26 from kidney failure. A brilliant career, tarnished by a doping ban in 2018, has come to a tragic end.

A promising career interrupted by doping
Kipyegon Bett, an 800m prodigy, had proven himself in 2016 by winning gold at the junior world championships, then bronze at the senior world championships in London in 2017. However, in 2018, his career took a turn with a four-year ban for doping with EPO, a substance he has always denied having used.

Admitted a week before his death to Kericho Hospital in his hometown, his health had deteriorated seriously, leading him to be re-hospitalized shortly afterwards. His death at the age of 26 marks the end of a hope shattered too soon.

The shadow of doping and vanished dreams
Bett, once one of the most promising athletes of his generation, was never able to recover from his suspension. The tragedy highlights the enormous pressures African athletes are under to perform at all costs, often with devastating consequences for their careers and health. His death has shocked not only his family and loved ones, but the entire Kenyan and international sporting community, who are mourning the loss of a young talent caught up in the turmoil of doping.