South African High Jump Legend Jacques Freitag’s Mysterious Death: Police Investigate Tragic Disappearance of Olympic Gold Medalist

On Thursday, SA Police Service Brigadier Brenda Muridili informed ESPN that the family of former Olympian and high jump world champion Jacques Freitag had identified his body. A murder case has been opened after he went missing last month, with reports indicating that the 42-year-old athlete had been shot. The body was discovered in a field near a cemetery in Pretoria.

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. No arrests have been made yet, but police are following leads in the investigation into Freitag’s death.