Venezuelan Olympian Daniela Larreal Chirinos Dies in Tragic Accident
Daniela Larreal Chirinos was one of Venezuela's most accomplished athletes
FILE - Venezuela's Daniela Larreal Chirinos celebrates her gold medal victory during the Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador, Nov. 29, 2002. Larreal Chirinos, a five-time Olympic cyclist who competed for Venezuela over the course of a decade, died on Aug. 15, 2024. She was 51. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo, File)
Latina athletes have always shown out and represented their countries with pride at the Olympics, including this year’s Paris Olympics which saw historic wins for Latinas. The representation we’ve seen in Latina in sports is due to the talent and contributions of those who have worked toward reaching new heights in making their communities proud. One of these powerful athletes who has repped their flag is Venezuelan cyclist Daniela Larreal Chirinos. The sports world is in mourning after the five-time Olympic cyclist was found dead in her Las Vegas apartment after being reported missing on August 12, the Associated Press reported. She was 51 years old. She was living in self-imposed exile in the U.S. after criticizing the regime of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
The athlete, who had participated in the Olympics from 1992 to 2012, was found dead by police on August 15 after she was reported missing by colleagues when she failed to show up to work as a housekeeper at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, the newest casino on the Strip. A welfare check was called by a friend, according to a police report. The friend had reported that he had not heard from Larreal in days, which was out of character for her. The Clark County Coroner’s Office told Fox News that they had concluded that the 50-year-old athlete’s cause of death “had been asphyxiation caused by solid food remains found in her trachea.”
Larreal made her Olympic debut at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. After which she continued to represent Venezuela in Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and London 2012. The five-time Olympian was one of the most accomplished athletes and cyclists in her homeland, her highest Olympic placement being seventh place during the Team Sprint final event in London. She was also a two-time gold medalist in the Pan American Games and the Pan American Championships.
The Venezuelan Olympic Committee released a tribute statement on X, on August 16:
“The COV Board of Directors regrets the departure of Daniela Larreal. With an outstanding career in track cycling, she managed to represent us with honor in five Olympic Games, accumulate four Olympic diplomas and triumphs that always filled us with great pride.”
