Venezuela’s most famous athlete and five-time Olympian Daniela Larreal Chirinos has been found dead in her Las Vegas apartment. Police said the retired cyclist reportedly choked on a meal.
According to Fox Sports, when Ms Chirinos failed to show up at the Las Vegas hotel where she worked, a police investigation was conducted and her body was found in her apartment. Chirinos, 50, is believed to have died on August 11.
Who was Daniela Lariel Chirinos?
One of the best athletes to ever represent Venezuela, Daniela Larreal Chirinos is a two-time gold medalist at the Pan American Games and Pan American Championships. Ms. Chirinos competed in five Olympic editions.
She made her Olympic debut in 1992 in Barcelona and has competed in four Olympic events – Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004) and London (2012). She also won two gold medals at the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador.
In addition to her illustrious cycling career, Ms Chirinos was also active in Venezuelan politics. An outspoken critic of former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, the Olympian accused the late president and his sports minister Hector Rodriguez of siphoning money out of the country in the name of sponsoring a “non-existent” racing driver.
In 2013, when Nicolás Maduro came to power in Venezuela, Ms. Chirinos called his presidency dictatorial. She was forced into exile and banned from entering Venezuela. Before moving to Las Vegas, where she worked as a food server, Ms. Chirinos was an Uber driver in Miami.
how did she die?
Though the “cause and manner” of her death are still under investigation, police suspect she died of suffocation, as remnants of solid food were reportedly found in her windpipe, The Guardian reports.
A spokesperson for the Clark County Coroner’s Office said the official cause of death was not yet known.
The Comité OlÃmpico Venezolano (Venezuelan Olympic Committee) shared an emotional tribute to Ms. Chirinos on Christmas Day with a photo of her holding a medal.
The QLA Junta Directiva del COV focuses on the part of Daniela Larreal
With a dedicated tractor in the cactus of woods Logroño represents the honor of having won a Olympic Games, earning many Olympic diplomas and winning which often results in much difficulty.#QEPD pic.twitter.com/YDJpv72X4D
– Comite OlÃmpico Venezolano (@OfficialCOV) August 16, 2024
“The COV Board of Directors regrets the departure of Daniela Larial. With a brilliant career in track cycling, she managed to represent us with honour at five Olympic Games, earning four Olympic diplomas and victories that always filled us with great pride,” the translated version of the post reads.