Authorities Confirm Asphyxiation Due to Choking on Food
Las Vegas, NV—Venezuelan Olympic cyclist Daniela Larreal Chirinos, a five-time Olympian, was found dead in her Las Vegas apartment days after an apparent choking incident, according to local authorities. The 50-year-old former athlete reportedly died from asphyxiation caused by food lodged in her trachea.
Police were alerted on Friday after Larreal failed to report to her job at a Las Vegas hotel for an entire week. Upon arrival at her apartment, officers discovered her lifeless body. Investigators determined that she had died on Sunday, August 11, from choking on solid food remains.
A storied athletic career
Daniela Larreal Chirinos was a prominent figure in Venezuelan sports, having competed in five Olympic Games—Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and London 2012—specializing in speed cycling. Her athletic achievements include two gold medals at the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, as well as two silver medals, one at the 2002 Games and another at the 1990 event in Mexico City. Larreal also earned two silver medals at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo.
Legacy and impact
Larreal’s untimely death has shocked the sports community, both in Venezuela and abroad. Her contributions to cycling and her country’s athletic history are being remembered as the investigation into the circumstances of her passing continues.
