FILE PHOTO: 2016 Rio Olympics - Cycling Track - Victory Ceremony - Women's Team Pursuit Victory Ceremony - Rio Olympic Velodrome - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 13/08/2016.Sarah Hammer (USA) of USA, Kelly Catlin (USA) of USA, Chloe Dygert (USA) of USA and Jennifer Valente (USA) of USA on podium with the silver medals. REUTERS/Matthew Childs
(Reuters) - Olympian Kelly Catlin, who helped the United States win the women’s pursuit team silver medal at the 2016 Rio Games, has died, USA Cycling said on Sunday. The three-time world champion was 23.
“The U.S. cycling community suffered a devastating loss with the passing of Kelly Catlin,” USA Cycling President and Chief Executive Rob DeMartini said in a statement. “Kelly was more than an athlete to us, and she will always be part of the USA Cycling family.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Catlin family. This is an incredibly difficult time and we want to respect their privacy,” the statement added. “The entire cycling community is mourning this immense loss.”
VeloNews reported that Catlin’s father, Mark, said in a letter to the publication that she died on Friday night at her home in California. Her father told the publication that she died by suicide.
Catlin won gold medals with the U.S. women’s team pursuit team at the 2016, 2017 and 2018 world championships.
She was a graduate of the University of Minnesota.
Vertigofrost on March 11st, 2019 at 02:48 UTC »
I hope we start taking concussions more seriously as a society. Heart goes out to the family and friends, this is always extremely hard but all the media attention only makes it harder
kombatunit on March 11st, 2019 at 01:23 UTC »
silver medal at the 2016 Rio Games. Catlin won gold medals with the U.S. women’s team pursuit team at the 2016, 2017 and 2018 world championships.
Sadness. I hope she is at peace.
christy1040 on March 11st, 2019 at 00:22 UTC »
I'm her triplet sister. She killed herself in her dorm room. She had a concussion a few months before and it changed her a lot. Wanted to put that out there.
Edit: I removed her method of suicide so as not to trigger others