Former world champion hurdler Nicholas Bett dies in car crash at age 28
Former 400m hurdles world champion Nicholas Bett of Kenya has died in a car crash just one day after competing at the African Championships in Nigeria.
The fatal accident took place on Wednesday morning, after the 28-year-old athlete, who was driving alone, hit a bump on the road near Nandi County in west Kenya. Bett lost control of his car, which crashed into a ditch and landed on its roof.
Bett was Kenya’s first ever gold medalist in a sprint event, producing one of the biggest sensations at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing by winning the men’s 400m hurdles, setting a national record of 47.79 seconds.
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Bett’s death was confirmed by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which said that its members are “saddened and shocked” by the tragic news.
Athletics Kenya offered its condolences to Bett’s family, adding it was shocked by “the sudden demise of one of their top athletes.”
We regret to learn of the sudden demise of one of our top athletes, the 2015 400m Hurdles World Champion #NicholasKiplagatBett who represented Kenya in the just concluded Africa Championships. Our condolences to his family and the entire athletics fraternity @moscakenya@iaaforgpic.twitter.com/L40CSCP4ZC
— Athletics Kenya (AK) (@athletics_kenya) 8 августа 2018 г.
