A missing persons case surrounding former Olympian and high jump world champion Jacques Freitag has turned into a murder investigation after authorities in South Africa said his body had been discovered in a field near a cemetery.
Freitag, 42, was reported missing last month.
South African Jacques Freitag carries his national flag on a victory lap after winning the men’s high jump final August 25, 2003 at the 9th IAAF World Athletics Championships in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris. Sweden’s Stefan Holm placed second and Canada’s Mark Boswell took third place. (FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
According to ESPN, his sister took to social media for help when he disappeared after leaving his mother’s home on June 17. She revealed at the time that he had been battling drug addiction since retiring from competition, the report stated.
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But this week authorities confirmed that Freitag’s body has been discovered in a field near a cemetery in the city of Pretoria.
South African Police Service Brigadier Brenda Muridili said Wednesday that the case has since been opened as a murder investigation.
South African Jacques Freitag expresses his joy after winning the men’s high jump final August 25, 2003 at the 9th IAAF World Athletics Championships in Saint-Denis, on the outskirts of Paris. Sweden’s Stefan Holm placed second, and Canada’s Mark Boswell took third place. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)
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“I can confirm that a missing person’s case in Hercules has been changed to a case of murder,” Muridili said, via ESPN. “No one has been arrested yet but the police are following up on leads.”
World Athletics said on its website that Freitag’s body had been found with “multiple gunshot wounds.”
Jacques Freitag of South Africa (C) poses for a picture with Stefan Holm of Sweden (R) and Mark Boswell of Canada during the medal ceremony for the men’s high jump at the 9th IAAF World Athletics Championship August 26, 2003, in Paris. Freitag won gold, Holm won silver, and Boswell won bronze. (Michael Steele/Getty Images)
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Freitag represented South Africa in the 2004 Olympics and the 2003 World Championships in Paris, where he won gold.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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