Kenyans ridicule 'hideous' statue of Olympic star Kipyegon

Eldoret, Kenya: Kenyans poured scorn and ridicule Thursday on a statue they said depicted Olympic running icon Faith Kipyegon, among several erected i...

Eldoret, Kenya: Kenyans poured scorn and ridicule Thursday on a statue they said depicted Olympic running icon Faith Kipyegon, among several erected in the world-renowned running hub of Eldoret to fete the nation's victorious Olympians.

The crude painted figure of a female athlete, wearing a top emblazoned with the Kenyan flag, was hastily removed after residents complained, media reports said, but not before images went viral.

Social media users widely described it as a statue of Kipyegon, with radio station NRG mocking it as "hideous" while others branded it a "disgrace" to Kenya's athletics queen and some called for the sculptor to be arrested.

Kipyegon made history at the Paris Games when she became the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic 1,500m gold medals, crossing the line in a new Olympic record of 3min 51.29sec.

The 30-year-old also took silver in the 5,000m after initially being disqualified for an alleged shove on Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay.