Cheptegei, who competed in the women's marathon at the Paris Olympics last month, died on Thursday from severe burns after her boyfriend doused her with petrol and set her on fire at her home in Kenya.

"She dazzled us here in Paris. We saw her. Her beauty, her strength, her freedom, and it was in all likelihood her beauty, strength and freedom which were intolerable for the person who committed this murder," Hidalgo told reporters.

"Paris will not forget her. We'll dedicate a sports venue to her so that her memory and her story remains among us and helps carry the message of equality, which is a message carried by the Olympic and Paralympic Games," Hidalgo added.

Cheptegei, 33, made her Olympic debut in the women's marathon in Paris, finishing 44th. According to police and doctors, she suffered 80 percent burns after being attacked in front of her children on Sunday by her Kenyan partner, Dickson Ndiema Marangach.

Her death, described by the United Nations as a "violent murder", has sparked widespread condemnation. "The news of our daughter Rebecca Cheptegei's tragic death due to domestic violence is deeply disturbing," Uganda's First Lady and Education Minister, Janet Museveni, posted on X.

Kenya's Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen called the incident a "stark reminder" that more needs to be done to address gender-based violence. The Paris Olympics organisers expressed their "profound indignation and sadness" over her death.