Kenya runner's death highlights pressures faced by female athletes

The casket of the long-distance runner Tirop, is covered with flowers during her funeral service at Kapnyamisa village in Nandi county. Tirop, 25, was found stabbed at her. Photos: AFP

The death of Kenyan running star Agnes Tirop has thrown a spotlight on the pressures faced by the country's female athletes who pay a huge - and often tragic - price for their spectacular success in a male-dominated society.

Although their meteoric rise seemingly reflects a progressive shift in gender norms, the reality is much more grim, with young women particularly vulnerable to financial exploitation at the hands of coaches, agents and even their loved ones.