Australian Olympic track cyclist and former world champion Melissa Hoskins has died aged 32, her country’s Olympic committee said on Monday.
A statement released by South Australian Police on Sunday said that a 32-year-old woman had died after being a hit by a car driven by a man “known to the woman,” in Adelaide, Australia. Local media named the woman as Hoskins.
The woman “suffered serious injuries and was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment,” the police statement said. “Sadly, she died in hospital overnight.”
Australia’s national broadcaster ABC and other local media outlets reported that Hoskins’ husband Rohan Dennis, a two-time world time trial champion and a stage winner at 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 bailed and is due to appear at the Adelaide Magistrates Court on March 13.
A police spokesperson told Reuters that its policy is to not confirm the names of those accused 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 at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games in the same event, missing out on a medal by just 0.181 seconds at the 2012 London Games.
She retired in May 2017 after the Rio Olympic Games, married Dennis in February 2018 and had two children.
Figures across the cycling world paid tribute to Hoskins including her compatriot and Olympic gold medalist Anna Meares who said: “I have a very heavy heart. My thoughts are with their children, family and fellow friends.”
She added in her post on X, “This is a very difficult and tragic time. RIP Melissa Hoskins.”
CPA Women, the worldwide association of female cyclists, posted on X that they were “shocked by the news of Melissa Hoskins’ death” and sent “their thoughts to those who love her, starting with her children, and were lucky enough to ride with her during an all too short life.”
Hoskins’ former team, now known as Liv AlUla Jayco, said it was “devastated” to learn of her death.
“Our thoughts are with her family and friends and the whole cycling community at this deeply saddening time. She will never be forgotten,” the team said on X.
