Samuel Wanjiru, an Olympic champion marathon runner, has died at the age of 24. According to police, Wanjiru death was caused by a fall from the balcony of his home in Nyahururu, Rift Valley, Kenya. He is believed to have taken his own life after an argument with his wife.
Samuel Wanjiru, Olympic Champion Marathon Runner, Dies At 24
Prior to the incident, Wanjiru was dealing with a variety of personal and legal troubles. Last December, he was charged with threatening to kill his wife and with possession of an illegal firearm. In January, he suffered minor injuries in a car accident.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Wanjiru captured the gold medal in the marathon event by recording a time of two hours, six minutes and 32 seconds, shattering the previous Olympic record. He is also the champion of the 2009 London Marathon and the 2009 and 2010 Chicago Marathons. He set his personal best time in London in 2009, and he set the American marathon record for fastest time at the 2010 Chicago Marathon. Wanjiru also once set a world record for fastest time in a half marathon.
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