Former Olympic Cyclist Daniela Larreal Chirinos Dead At 50

Cyclist Daniela Larreal Chirinos , who represented Venezuela in five consecutive Olympic games , has died at the age of 50 after reportedly choking on food at her Las Vegas home, local authorities confirmed to FOX Sports Mexico (h/t the New York Post .)

Police were called to Chirinos' apartment after the cyclist failed to show up at a hotel where she worked for the entire week. Authorities determined that the 50-year-old died on August 11 from asphyxiation caused by solid food remains found in her trachea during a post-mortem examination, however, an official cause of death hasn't been determined as an autopsy is pending, FOX Sports Mexico reported.

Chirinos was regarded as one of Venezuela's most distinguished athletes and a leading figure for its cycling team from 1990 to 2012, having represented the country in the speed cycling event at the 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens and 2012 London Games. The Venezuelan won three gold medals and a silver at the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador, as well as two silvers at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and a silver at the 1990 Central American Games in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.