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Former world under-20 athletics champion Kipyegon Bett has died aged 26 in Bomet, Kenya, following a short illness.<\/b><\/p>\n
The 800m specialist won his junior world title in 2016 and then took bronze at the senior World Championships in London the following year.<\/p>\n
However, his career was halted in 2018 when he was handed a four-year doping ban and he struggled on his return.<\/p>\n
“He had been sick, complaining of stomach pains for about a month. The doctors said he had a liver problem and had been in and out of hospital,” his sister Purity Kirui told BBC Sport Africa.<\/p>\n
“Last week we took him to hospital after he started vomiting blood and he was admitted. I went to see him [on Sunday] morning and he told me he was in pain.<\/p>\n
“He told our dad, who is a pastor, to pray for him because he didn’t feel he would survive and after 12 noon he died. We tried everything to save him, but he left us. It’s very painful.”<\/p>\n
Athletics Kenya official Barnaba Korir described Bett as “one of the most talented half-milers” in the world and a “polite, easy-going and extremely amiable” athlete.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n