Authorities in Las Vegas are investigating the death of a five-time Olympian from South America who reportedly died from asphyxiation after choking on food at home.
Daniela Larreal Chirinos, a renowned Venezuelan cyclist, was found dead in her apartment Aug. 16, Las Vegas officials said.
The Clark County Coroner Medical Examiner’s office confirmed to USA TODAY her official cause and manner of death was pending autopsy and toxicology results.
Stephanie Wheatley, a spokesperson for the coroner’s office said Chirinos was officially pronounced dead on Aug. 15.
According to information translated from Spanish news site ABC, the athlete, who worked at a Las Vegas hotel, was reported missing by coworkers when she failed to report to work Aug. 12.
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Although an official cause of death for the athlete is not yet known, according to a Fox Sports report, the Las Vegas Police Department told the outlet her cause of death had been asphyxiation caused by food found in her trachea.
USA TODAY has reached out to police.
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Venezuela Olympic Committee: ‘May she rest in peace’
On Aug. 16, the Venezuela Olympic Committee posted a tribute to Chirinos on X.
“With her outstanding career in track cycling, she achieved representing us with honor in five Olympic Games, accumulated four Olympic medals and triumphs that always filled us with great pride,” the committee wrote on the social media site.
The photo depicts the Olympian with her eyes closed, holding up a medal with a flag draped around her body,
A caption in a photo in the post reads, “May she rest in peace.”
Who is Daniela Larreal Chirinos?
One of Venezuela’s best-known athletes, Chirinos last competed in the Olympics 2012 Summer Games in London.
Chirinos was a critic of the country’s embattled President Nicolás Maduro, and at the time of her death, ABC reported, she was living in exile after criticism of the political leader.
Last month, Venezuelan officials declared Maduro the winner of the country’s presidential election. So far, the Associated Press reported, authorities there have not provided voting tallies to prove Maduro won, spurring questions about the legitimacy of the election.
The country’s socioeconomic crisis and political unrest has stirred protest across the nation. Maduro succeeded former president, Hugo Chávez, who died of cancer in 2013, initiated the “Bolivarian revolution” and dismantled the country’s democratic political system.
Contributing: Isabel C. Morales
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
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