A five-time Olympic cyclist has been found dead at her home.
According to multiple reports, five-time Olympic cyclist Daniela Larreal Chirinos, from Venezuela, has been found dead in her Las Vegas apartment just days after choking on her food.
Fox Sports revealed that last week, law enforcement was called to the 50-year-old's apartment after she failed to turn up to work.
The former Olympian was working as a waitress at a hotel in the area and her colleagues grew worried when she did not show up for her shifts beginning August 12.
Authorities broke into Chirinos' apartment and found her body.
Following an investigation into the matter, it was determined that the athlete - who retired from professional cycling after competing in five consecutive Olympic Games - had choked on her food and tragically passed away.
According to the Daily Mail, sources with knowledge of the investigation believe she died from asphyxiation.
While her cause of death is yet to be officially confirmed, the post-mortem examination reportedly found solid food remnants in her windpipe.
It is believed she has been dead since August 11, with emergency services alerted the following day when she failed to show up to work.
Chirinos was active in the world of Venezuelan cycling from 1990 to 2012, having participated in the speed cycling event in five Olympic Games, including Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and London 2012.
Beyond the prestigious games, she also competed in other renowned sporting events and collected a handful of accolades over the course of her career.
She won two gold medals in San Salvador in 2002 and two silvers, one during the 2002 games and one in Mexico City in 1990.
She also won two silver medals at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo in 2003, according to Fox Sports.
The news started circulating on social media, with many left shocked at the tragic way the cyclist allegedly passed away.
"This is one of my biggest fears," commented one user on X, while another added: "Oh wow! Horrible!"
And a third offered some good advice writing: "PSA if you’re ever alone and choke on food you can perform the Heimlich Maneuver on yourself using a chair."
According to Tenet Health, the Heimlich maneuver is generally a safe and quick technique to save a life including your own.
The first thing you do is put your fist above your navel and make sure the thumb of that hand is resting below your rib cage.
You then grab the first fist with your other hand, which you will use to push forcibly inward and upward simultaneously. You can also lean over a railing, table edge, or chair backrest. Then quickly thrust your upper abdomen against the edge and keep pushing on the area until the blockage clears.
This is an important skill and could save your own as well as the lives of those around you.
Our thoughts are with Chirinos' loved ones during this difficult time.
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