Who was Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins?
MELISSA HOSKINS tragically passed away at the end of 2023.
The Australian athlete and Olympic cyclist was survived by her two young children that she shared with husband Rohan Dennis.
Australian cyclist Melissa Hoskins died at the end of 2023AAP Image/Joe Castro
Who was Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins?
Melissa Hoskins was an Australian track and road racing cyclist.
She was born on February 24, 1991, and died on December 31, 2023.
Hoskins grew up in Kalamunda, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Sports Science from Perth’s Murdoch University before pursuing her career as a professional cyclist.
Hoskins married fellow Australian cyclist Rohan Dennis in February 2018 after becoming engaged the year before.
They couple welcomed a son at the end of 2018 and went on to have a daughter together.
Hoskins retired from professional cycling in 2017.
Throughout her career she enjoyed many successes, including competing in the Olympics and winning gold at the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
At the latter event, Hoskins and her team broke the world record which had been previously set by the UK in 2013 by almost three seconds.
What happened to Melissa Hoskins?
Hoskins died after allegedly being run her over by a car driven by her husband.
Dennis was arrested after the alleged collision and was charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life.
Hoskins was struck by a vehicle on a residential street in the inner northern suburb of Medindie, South Australia, at around 8pm on Saturday December 30, 2023.
She was rushed to hospital with serious injuries and died shortly after.
A neighbour told Australia’s 9News that Hoskins and Dennis had just moved into a new home near where the incident occurred the week before.
The couple had reportedly moved into a home on Avenel Gardens Road with their two young children.
Another neighbour spoke about witnessing the aftermath of the incident, saying what had happened was “tragic”.
“We’ve never seen such a sight on this street. It was quite horrific to see,” they said.
According to local reports, Dennis allegedly carried on driving the vehicle after hitting Hoskins, continuing to move until she fell to the ground.
Adelaide Now reports that Hoskins allegedly may have been dragged along the road for some distance before two teenage neighbours are said to have tried to save her life by administering first aid.
After paramedics arrived at the scene, Hoskins was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
She died hours later, in the early hours of New Year’s Eve 2023, as a result of her catastrophic injuries.
As of January 2, 2024, police investigations are ongoing.
After being charged, Dennis was bailed to appear at Adelaide Magistrates Court in March.
When did Melissa Hoskins compete in the Olympics?
Hoskins competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2016 event in Rio de Janeiro, where she participated in the qualifying round but not the final due to injury.
She was a member of the Australian track cycling team pursuit squad for both Olympics.
The event sees two teams – made up of four riders – compete against each other, starting on opposite sides of the velodrome.
Hoskins and her team just missed out on a spot on the Olympic podium in 2012, finishing in fourth place.
The UK took the gold, followed by the US in second place and Canada in third.
Hoskins’ husband Dennis was part of the Australian male team for the same event at the 2012 Olympics.
His squad landed in second place, taking home the silver medal.
Dennis announced his own retirement from professional cycling in 2023.
He paid tribute to his wife in his announcement, thanking her for her support throughout the years.
“Thank you Melissa Dennis for supporting me throughout my entire professional career, all while raising two of the best kids I could ever ask for,” he said at the time.
