The body of former Olympian and high jump world champion Jacques Freitag has been found in South Africa, according to local police. A murder case has been opened after he went missing last month. Reports indicated that the 42-year-old athlete, who won the 2003 world title in Paris and competed at the 2004 Olympics, had been shot. Police discovered the body in a field near a cemetery in Pretoria, and although it had not been formally identified by family members, authorities confirmed that the family believes it is Freitag.
On Thursday, SA Police Service Brigadier Brenda Muridili informed ESPN that the family had identified the body as Freitag’s. She further confirmed that a missing person’s case had been changed to a case of murder after he disappeared in Hercules on June 17. No arrests have been made yet, but police are following leads in the investigation. Freitag’s sister, Chrissie Lewis, had reached out on social media for help in finding him, revealing his struggles with drug addiction following the end of his athletic career.
Hendrick Mokganyetsi, chairperson of Athletics South Africa’s commission, remembered Freitag’s accomplishments fondly, highlighting his national record of 2.38 meters in high jump and his victories at various levels of competition. Freitag’s gold medal win at the 2003 world championships in Paris solidified his place in history as the first South African to achieve such a feat in high jump. His success at the youth, junior, and senior levels of competition set him apart as a remarkable athlete.