PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA – In a shocking development in the world of athletics, the body of former Olympian and world high jump champion Jacques Freitag has been discovered. The South African athlete had disappeared last month, and with the new findings, South African police have opened a murder case.
The 42-year-old was a distinguished figure in sports, having won the high jump event at the 2003 World Championship in Paris and competed in the 2004 Olympics.
Freitag was reported missing in mid-June, and local media pointed out that he had been shot. The police found his body near a cemetery in Pretoria, in a field. Although the body is yet to be officially identified by the family, South Africa Police Service Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed that the family had identified him. “No one has been arrested yet but the police are following up on leads,” she added.
Freitag’s sister, Chrissie Lewis, had made an online appeal for help to find him, as he had disappeared early on June 17 after departing from his mother’s home. Lewis revealed that her brother, after his athletic career, had been battling drug addiction.
Athletics South Africa commission chairperson Hendrick Mokganyetsi expressed his admiration for Freitag’s stellar achievements on the field. He recounted that Freitag was the first South African to win a gold medal in the high jump at the world championship and held an impressive record of 2.38 meters.