Kenyan Hurdler and Former World Champion Nicholas Bett Dies at Age 28

Nicholas Bett, gold medallist in the 400-metre hurdles at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, has died in a car crash in his home country of Kenya.

Per Andrew Gilpin of the Mirror, the incident took place in Nandi County, Kenya, just a day after the 28-year-old had returned from the Continental Championships in Nigeria.

Athletics Kenya, the sport's governing body in the East African country, tweeted condolences to Bett's family.

His twin brother, Haron Koech, is also a 400-metre hurdler.

Bett's gold medal at the 2015 World Championships, won with a time of 47.79 seconds at the iconic Bird's Nest stadium, broke new ground for Kenya.

A nation famed for its long-distance athletes, no Kenyan had ever before triumphed at a distance shorter than 800 metres.

As well as his gold in Beijing, Bett also claimed bronze medals in the 400-metre hurdles and 4x400-metre relay at the 2014 African Championships in Marrakech, Morocco.