Daniela Larreal Chirinos, one of Venezuela's best-known athletes and five-time Olympian, has been found dead at her Las Vegas apartment. The retired cyclist reportedly choked on her food, police said.
When Ms Chirinos did not turn up at the Las Vegas hotel where she worked, she was checked on and her body was found at her apartment, according to FOX Sports. The 50-year-old is believed to have died on August 11.
Who Was Daniela Larreal Chirinos?
One of the finest athletes ever to represent Venezuela, Daniela Larreal Chirinos is a two-time gold medalist in the Pan American Games and the Pan American Championships. Ms Chirinos featured in five Olympics editions.
She made her Olympics debut in Barcelona way back in 1992 and participated in four Olympic events -- Atlanta (1996), Sydney (2000), Athens (2004) and London (2012). She also clinched two gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, 2002.
Apart from a storied career in cycling, Ms Chirinos was also active in Venezuelan politics. A vocal critic of former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez, the Olympian accused the late president and his sports minister Hector Rodriguez of funneling money out of the country in the name of sponsoring a "non-existent" racing driver.
In 2013, upon Nicolás Maduro's arrival at the helm in Venezuela, Ms Chirinos called his presidency a dictatorship. 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?
While the “cause and method” of her death was still under investigation, police suspected she died from asphyxiation after they reportedly found solid food remains in her windpipe, The Guardian reported.
A spokesperson for the Clark County Coroner's Office said an official cause of death was still pending.
The Comité Olímpico Venezolano (Venezuelan Olympic Committee) shared on X a heartfelt tribute with a picture of Ms Chirinos holding a medal.
“The COV Board of Directors regrets the departure of Daniela Larreal. With an outstanding career in track cycling, he managed to represent us with honour in five Olympic Games, accumulate four Olympic diplomas and triumphs that always filled us with great pride,” read the translated version of the post.
