Daniela Larreal Chirinos, a five-time Olympic cyclist, has unfortunately departed suddenly.
The 50-year-old cyclist, who rose to prominence in speed cycling in the Summer Olympics in Barcelona (1992), Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004), and London (2012), was discovered dead in her Las Vegas apartment on Friday, August 16.
Daniela Larreal Chirinos went missing on August 12, prompting fears among her colleagues.
Daniela Larreal Chirinos Found Dead In Her Apartment
✝️ Daniela Greluis LARREAL CHIRINOS
— In__Memoriam (@In___Memoriam) August 19, 2024
🧺 2 Oct. 1973, Zulia 🇻🇪
🪦 11 Aug. 2024, Las Vegas 🇺🇸
📋 Track cyclist
.The only Venezuelan Olympian to compete at five different Olympic Games, she represented Venezuela at the 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2012 Summer Olympics. pic.twitter.com/hYA6vUVOqN
While the Clark County Coroner's Office advised Fox News that Daniela's official cause of death is still being investigated, Fox Sports claimed that officers "concluded that the cause of death had been asphyxiation caused by solid food remains found in her trachea."
According to reports, she died on August 11. Daniela had been working in a hotel in Las Vegas.
Following the devastating news, the Venezuelan Olympic Committee posted an homage. "The COV Board of Directors regrets Daniela Larreal's departure," the committee said, according to a translated statement. "With an outstanding career in track cycling, he managed to represent us with honor in five Olympic Games, accumulate four Olympic diplomas and triumphs that always filled us with great pride."
Who Is Daniela Larreal Chirinos?
#RIP Daniela Larreal 🇻🇪🚴♀️(50)
— Sporting Obituaries (@SportIconObit) August 17, 2024
Competed in 5 #Olympics for #VEN from 1992-2012 in Sprint, Points Race, 500m Time Trial, Team Sprint & Keirin. Champion in the 2011 #PanAmericanGames, 2005 & 2012 #PanAmericanChampionship & 1998, 2002 & 2010 Central American & Caribbean Games pic.twitter.com/PnK4Te8UX5
According to Fox News, Daniela Larreal Chirinos was one of Venezuela's most outstanding cyclists. Her best result came in the Team Sprint final at the London Olympics, where she placed eighth.
Daniela Larreal Chirinos never won an Olympic medal, but she did win noteworthy regional tournaments. In 2002, she won two gold medals in the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, followed by two silver medals at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo the following year.
Beyond her sports career, Daniela was active in Venezuelan politics. She was a vociferous critic of former President Hugo Chávez, saying that he and his sports minister, Hector Rodriguez, misused Venezuelan funds by financing a non-existent racing driver.
Olympic Star Passes Away Just Weeks Before Making History at 2024 Paris Games
Daniela Larreal Chirinos' death comes two months after 18-year-old Olympic star Jackson James Rice, nicknamed J.J. Rice, was cruelly killed in a bizarre diving accident only weeks before his big debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The teenage athlete was free diving from a boat when he experienced "a suspected shallow water blackout."
"I was blessed with the most amazing brother in the whole world and it pains me to say that he's passed away ... he was an amazing kitefoiler and he would have made it to the Olympics and come out with a big shiny medal ... he made so many amazing friends all over the world," said Lily, his sister, according to WDBJ.
This terrible occurrence occurred just before he was scheduled to make history at the Olympics.
Palestine's First Olympian Dies in Gaza Due to Lack of Medical Care During Israel's War.
Majed Abu Maraheel, the first Palestinian athlete to compete in the Olympic Games, died in June at the age of 61 in Gaza's Nuseirat refugee camp of kidney failure induced by the continuing Israeli war's power outages and medical shortages.
Abu Maraheel made history in 1996 as Palestine's flag bearer in the Atlanta Olympics, when he ran in the 10km distance competition. His historic accomplishment paved the path for over 20 Palestinian athletes to represent their country on the Olympic stage since then.
"He was and will remain a Palestinian icon," his brother told Paltoday TV. "We tried to evacuate him to Egypt, but then the Rafah crossing was closed (by Israel), and his condition kept deteriorating."
The 2024 Paris Olympics will have the smallest Ukrainian representation in history due to ongoing conflict.
This year's Summer Olympics in Paris featured the smallest Ukrainian contingent ever, with only 140 competitors competing. This follows huge losses for Ukrainian sportsmen after Russia's invasion in 2022.
According to a British news statement from last month, the violence claimed the lives of over 487 Ukrainian athletes, including current and previous Olympians. Among those killed was Anastasiia Ihnatenko, an acrobatic gymnastics coach.
Post a Comment