Kenya's former world champion Bett dies in car crash

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Kenya's Nicholas Bett, the 2015 world champion in the 400-meter hurdles, was killed in an early-morning car crash on Wednesday in the country's famed high-altitude training region, police and his coach said.

Bett was 28 and had only just returned home from the African championships in Nigeria on Monday.

Nandi County police commander Patrick Wambani said Bett was killed in the crash on the road between Eldoret and Kapsabet, two of Kenya's famed distance-running training towns in the Rift Valley region in the west of the country.

Bett's Toyota Prado SUV hit bumps in the road and rolled, his coach, Vincent Mumo, told The Associated Press.

Nicholas Bett (C) of Kenya with his gold medal poses on the podium after the men's 400m hurdles event at the 15th IAAF World Championships at the National Stadium in Beijing on August 26, 2015. /VCG Photo

Bett won gold in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2015 world championships in Beijing, a breakthrough victory in that event for Kenya, a powerhouse in middle- and long-distance events.

He also won bronze medals at the African championships in 2014 in the 400 hurdles and 4x400-meter relay.

Athletics Kenya said it sent condolences to Bett's family.

Bett's twin brother, Aron, is also an athlete and was part of the Kenyan 4x400 team that won gold at last week's African championships. Nicholas Bett didn't run on that team.