Former Australian world champion cyclist Rohan Dennis is reported to have been charged in connection with the death of his 32-year-old wife, Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins, who died after being struck by a vehicle while riding in Adelaide.
South Adelaide Police said emergency services were called to an address in Medindie, an Adelaide suburb, around 8pm on Saturday, following reports a woman had been struck by a vehicle.
Police said the woman, later identified as Hoskins, suffered serious injuries and died after being transported to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
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A 33-year-old man has been arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life, police said. The driver was known to the woman and given bail to appear in court on March 13, police added.
The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said in a post on social media platform X on Monday, “The AOC has expressed the utmost sadness at the loss of Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins after the tragic events in Adelaide. Our condolences go to Melissa’s family, friends and the cycling community at this extremely difficult time.”
Hoskins won gold in the team pursuit at the 2015 world championships and was a member of the Australian team at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics.
Dennis won gold medals in the team pursuit at the 2010 and 2011 World Championships and was the world time trial champion in 2018 and 2019. He won silver in the team pursuit at the 2012 London Olympics and bronze in the road time trial at the 2020 Tokyo Games. He also is a stage winner at the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Spanish Vuelta.
Dennis retired from cycling last year. He and Hoskins were married in 2018.