Kenyan double world 10,000m bronze medallist and 2015 world cross county champion Agnes Tirop was found dead Wednesday with stab wounds to her stomach in a suspected homicide, athletics officials said. 

Tirop, 25, who finished fourth in the 5,000m at the Tokyo Olympics and was a fast-rising Kenyan female athlete, was found dead at her home in the high altitude training town of Iten in western Kenya. 

"Kenya has lost a jewel who was one of the fastest rising athletics giants on the international stage, thanks to her eye-catching performances on the track," Athletics Kenya said in a statement.