Chinanews.com, Beijing, January 1 (Reporter Xing Rui) On January 2, local time, the Australian Olympic Committee confirmed through social media that Australian track cyclist and former world champion Melissa Hoskins died in a car accident in the south of the country at the age of 1.
"Our condolences go out to Melissa's family, friends and the cycling community at this extremely difficult time." The Australian Olympic Committee wrote.
Screenshot of the Australian Olympic Committee's social media
According to foreign media reports, the car accident occurred last Saturday night local time. Melissa Hoskins died in hospital after being hit by a car in the northern outback of South Australia's capital Adelaide.
It is reported that the local police said in a statement that the 32-year-old woman died after being hit by a car driven by a "man who knew her". The man has been arrested and charged with dangerous driving causing death, careless driving, and endangering life.
Although the police did not disclose the name of the suspect, according to a number of local media reports, the suspect arrested by the police was none other than Melissa's husband, Rohan Dennis, who is also a world champion in cycling.
Melissa Hoskins is a highly successful track cyclist, according to the report. She won gold in the team pursuit at the 2015 World Championships and represented Australia at London 2012 and Rio 2016. In London, she missed out on a medal by 0.181 seconds.
In 2017, Melissa Hoskins retired. In 2018, she married Rohan Dennis and has two children.
Melissa Hoskins' husband, Rohan Dennis, is also an Australian cyclist. He is the same age as Melissa Hoskins, who also won a world championship title and a bronze medal in the men's individual time trial in road cycling at the Tokyo Olympics. In 2023, after Rohan Dennis retired, the family moved back to Adelaide, Australia from Europe.
Image credit: Rohan Dennis Social Media
Looking at Rohan Dennis's social media, in addition to game-related updates, he also often shares the daily life of his family. Just a week before the incident, Dennis also posted a photo of a family of four celebrating Christmas on social media.
After Melissa's death, her parents and sister were enveloped in great grief. In a joint statement, the family said: "Our family is completely devastated and is still trying to cope with what happened. Not only did we lose our daughter and sister, but her children also lost their mothers. ”
"She is the cornerstone of our children and our lives, and we need to honor her memory. That way children grow up knowing who she is, what she stands for, and what she brings to everyone she has touched. ”
It is reported that Melissa Hoskins' funeral will be held in her hometown of Perth. A memorial service will be held in Adelaide after the Tour of Australia this month. Rohan Dennis, on the other hand, has been released on bail and will appear in court on March 3. (ENDS)