Daniela Larreal Chirinos, a five-time Olympic cyclist from Venezuela, was discovered dead in her Las Vegas apartment. According to police, she died choking on her food. She was 50 years old.
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Authorities were summoned to the apartment of the former Olympian on Friday. The call came after she did not arrive at her hotel in Las Vegas, where she had been employed for the entire week, according to Fox Sports.
According to the outlet, police concluded that she died on Sunday, August 11. The death was reportedly due to asphyxiation caused by solid food remnants lodged in her trachea.
Chirinos was a remarkable athlete from Venezuela. She competed in the speed cycling event across five Olympic Games. These include Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and London 2012.
Larreal’s top Olympic finish came in eighth place in the Sprint at both the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Games. However, her remarkable achievements include winning a gold medal in the Keirin and Team Sprint events at the Pan American Games in 2011. Additionally, she secured gold at the Pan American Championships. She claimed victory in the Keirin in 2005 and the Team Sprint in 2012.
The Venezuelan Olympic Committee (Comité Olímpico Venezolano) paid tribute on social media.
“The COV Board of Directors regrets the departure of Daniela Larreal,” the translated tweet began.
“With an outstanding career in track cycling, she managed to represent us with honor in five Olympic Games. [She accumulated] four Olympic diplomas and triumphs that always filled us with great pride.”
Daniela Larreal Chirinos Beyond the Olympics
In addition to her impressive athletic abilities, Larreal pushed back against President Nicolas Maduro’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela. She consistently denounced corruption within the country and advocated for meaningful change.
She was a member of the Vente Venezuela party, which is positioned on the center-right to right-wing spectrum in the country. However, her outspoken statements resulted in death threats, ultimately forcing her to seek exile in the United States.
“I want to inform those who are sick of power that their disqualifications against me do not affect me. They make me proud as a Venezuelan and I will fight,” she said at the time, per VOZ.
Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles also bid farewell to the athlete with a heartfelt post on X.
“We deeply regret the passing of Daniela Larreal, who in life was a great figure in cycling, a specialist in track events,” his translated tweet began. “Daniela, in addition to winning medals, stood out for being the only Venezuelan to have participated in 5 Olympic Games. A glory of sport!”
“I join in the mourning that afflicts the country and send my heartfelt words of condolence to her family, friends and those who were her teammates in her sporting career. May God receive Daniela in eternal rest,” he concluded.