Olympic legend Jacques Freitag shot dead and his body dumped in field beside cemetery

World high jump gold medallist Jacques Freitag has been found dead with bullet wounds in a field, two weeks after his mysterious disappearance.

World high jump gold medallist Jacques Freitag has been found dead with bullet wounds in a field, two weeks after his mysterious disappearance.

The troubled retired athlete went missing a couple of weeks ago after visiting his mum’s home in Bronkhorstpruit a few days after his birthday.

Reports at the time said the one-time golden boy of South African sport was down on his luck and out of work while struggling with recreational drugs.

Jacques Freitag was a champion high jumper

The 42-year-old was picked up from his mum’s shortly after midnight and dropped at a nearby area of Booysens by a mystery man who said that he had work for him.

This was reportedly the last time he was seen alive.

His blood-soaked body was tragically found on Tuesday afternoon with multiple bullet wounds beside Zandfontein Cemetary in Pretoria West.

He was tragically found dead with multiple bullet wounds

The ex-athlete’s sister Chrissie Lewis had been leading a hunt for her brother since he vanished on 17 June.

She suggested he would be easily recognisable being a staggering 6ft8 tall.

South African Police spokesman Brigadier Brenda Muridili confirmed that the man had tragically been shot multiple times - therefore treating the case as a murder.

Mr Freitag was a four-time South African high jump champion and still holds the National Record after clearing 2.38m which he set in a competition in 2005.

Originally published as Olympic legend Jacques Freitag shot dead and his body dumped in field beside cemetery