A 50-year-old Olympic cyclist tragically choked to death on food in her flat, leaving the sports world in shock.
50-year-old Olympic cyclist Daniela Larreal Chirinos tragically passed away after choking on food in her Las Vegas apartment.
The five-time Olympian, with a career from Barcelona 1992 to London 2012, was discovered died at her flat.
Colleagues grew concerned when she failed to report to work and alerted the authorities.
50-year-old Olympic cyclist choked to death on food at her flat
On the day of her death, the athlete was at home, where she choked on food.
She was found in her apartment after this unfortunate accident. Emergency services were called, but it was too late to save her.
An autopsy showed that food blocked her windpipe, which caused her death by choking.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of death.
This sad news has stunned fans and the sporting community.
After her death, tributes came in from all over the world. People celebrated Chirinos’ strong spirit and constant dedication to her sport.
“The COV Board of Directors regrets the departure of Daniela Larreal.
With an outstanding career in track cycling, she proudly represented us in five Olympic Games.
She earned four Olympic diplomas and achieved victories that always made us very proud,” The Venezuelan Olympic Committee wrote.
Daniela Larreal Chirinos’s achievements in the sports industry
The cyclist, known for her outstanding achievements on the track, had a distinguished career that spanned many years.
Her achievements included a silver medal at the 1990 Central American Games and two more silvers at the 2003 Pan American Games.
Remarkably, she shone at the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games, securing three golds and a silver.
Her success continued at the 2011 Pan American Games with two golds in the Keirin and Team Sprint events.
Chirinos continued to compete until 2014, winning in the Spring and Team Sprint at the South American Games.
Chirinos criticized former president Hugo Chávez.
Previously, Chirinos was involved in Venezuelan politics and strongly criticized former president Hugo Chávez.
She accused Chávez and his sports minister, Hector Rodriguez, of stealing money by sponsoring a fake racing driver.
When Nicolás Maduro became president in 2013, she labeled his government a dictatorship.
As a result, they exiled her and banned her from Venezuela.
Later, she lived in Miami, where she worked as an Uber driver.
She eventually moved to Las Vegas, where she found work as a food server.