Olympic Marathon Champ Commits Suicide

Kenyan Olympic marathon gold medalist Sammy Wanjiru leaped to his death from the balcony of his apartment following a heated argument with his wife, authorities said. Wanjiru, 24, had been drinking when his wife found him with another woman in their home in Nyahururu, said police. Efforts to revive him on the scene failed, authorities said. Police are continuing to question both women about events leading up to the tragedy, reports the BBC.

The marathoner had a history of domestic problems, reports AP. Last year he was charged with wounding a bodyguard with a rifle and threatening to kill his wife. At the Beijing games Wanjiru became the first Kenyan to win a gold medal in a marathon, finishing in an Olympic-record 2 hours, 6 minutes, 32 seconds.. "Incredibly sad news about Sammy," tweeted American marathoner Ryan Hall. "I am shocked and saddened." (More Sammy Wanjiru stories.)