Former high jump world champion Jacques Freitag has been found dead after going missing for over two weeks.
Local media reported on Wednesday that the 42-year-old’s body was discovered by South African police in a field near a cemetery in Pretoria.
Freitag, a national hero in South Africa, rose to fame after winning the 2003 World Championship title in Paris.
He continued his success by competing at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
The cause of death has been confirmed as gunshot wounds.
Police are treating the case as murder.
Freitag’s family, including his sister Chrissie Lewis, had been using social media to plead for information on his whereabouts since his disappearance in the early hours of June 17th.
Lewis revealed that Freitag had battled drug addiction following his retirement from athletics.
The sporting community mourns the loss of a legendary athlete.
Jacques Freitag was a decorated competitor, achieving the rare feat of winning world titles at the youth, junior, and senior levels.
