The body of former Olympian and high jump world champ Jacques Freitag has been found in a South African field after he went missing last month, leading police to open a murder investigation.
Local media reported the 42-year-old’s remains were found near a cemetery in the capital city of Pretoria. His body had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, according to World Athletics.
Freitag’s relatives had positively identified the body by Thursday, a day after police confirmed their suspicions he was murdered, SA Police Service Brigadier Brenda Muridili told ESPN.
“I can confirm that a missing person’s case in [the community of] Hercules has been changed to a case of murder,” Muridili said.
No arrests had been made as of Thursday evening.
Freitag — who reportedly battled substance abuse in recent years — was last seen June 17 when he left his mother’s home in Bronkhorstspruit, about 40 miles east of Pretoria.
Freitag’s athletics achievements, which included making a 2004 Olympic debut and the rare accomplishment of winning world titles at the youth, junior and senior levels, were remembered by the sports governing body Athletics South Africa.
“On the fifth of March 2005, I remember he cleared 2.38 metres — that was a national record,” ASA commission chairperson Hendrick Mokganyetsi told South African outlet, EWN. “He was a four-time SA champ in high jump. In 2000, he won gold at the world junior champs that were held in Santiago, Chile. … He won the gold medal at the world champs in Paris with a jump of 2.35 meters. This victory made him the first South African to win a gold in high jump at the world champs.”
Though Freitag did not make the final in the 2004 Olympics, he outdid his 2002 African record of 2.37 meters (7.77 feet), when he increased it to 2.38 meters (7.8 feet) in 2005, per World Athletics. Freitag still holds the record.
With News Wire Services