2024-01-01 16:28:00
(CNN) — Australian Olympic track cyclist and former world champion Melissa Hoskins has died at age 32, her country’s Olympic committee said Monday.
A statement issued by South Australian police said on Sunday that a 32-year-old woman had died following being hit by a car driven by a man “known to the woman” in Adelaide, Australia. Local media identified the woman as Hoskins.
The woman “sustained serious injuries and was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment,” according to the police statement. “She sadly died in the hospital overnight.”
Australian national broadcaster ABC and other local media outlets reported that Hoskins’ husband, Rohan Dennis, a two-time world time trial champion and stage winner in the Tour de France, had been arrested and charged with causing her death.
The police statement did not name the 33-year-old man who has been “arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life.”
The police statement added that the man has been released on bail and is due to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on March 13.
Melissa Hoskins celebrates her silver medal in the women’s Scratch race at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in 2012. (Joe Castro/ EPA/ Shutterstock)
CNN has contacted both Australian police and the Adelaide Magistrates Court, asking for confirmation that Dennis was the man arrested and charged, as well as the date of his court appearance. CNN also reached out to Dennis through his website and his management team for comment.
A police spokesman told Archyde.com it is their policy not to confirm the names of defendants involved in an incident.
Hoskins was a successful track cyclist, becoming a world champion and setting a world record in 2015 as part of Australia’s women’s team pursuit quartet.
She competed in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics in the same event, missing out on a medal by just 0.181 seconds at the 2012 London Games.
She retired in May 2017 following the Rio Olympics, married Dennis in February 2018, and had two children.
Figures from across the cycling world paid tribute to Hoskins, including compatriot and Olympic gold medalist Anna Meares, who said: “My heart is very heavy. My thoughts are with his children, family and friends.”
She added in her X post: “This is a very difficult and tragic time. RIP Melissa Hoskins.”
CPA Women, the global association of female cyclists, posted on too short a life.”
Hoskins’ former team, now known as Liv AlUla Jayco, said they were “devastated” to learn of his death.
“Our thoughts are with her family and friends and the entire cycling community at this deeply sad time. She will never be forgotten,” the team said in X.
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