World champion cyclist Melissa Hoskins dies aged 32 after car collision

Australia's two-time Olympian and team pursuit world champion was struck by a vehicle outside her home in Adelaide.

2 minBy Olympics.com
Black and white photo of Hoskins celebrating her scratch race victory in the London 2012 World Cup test event
(Action Images / Paul Childs)

Australian world champion track cyclist Melissa Hoskins has died aged 32.

Hoskins was gravely hurt after being struck by a vehicle late on Saturday (30 December) outside her home in Adelaide's northern suburbs.

She was taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital but succumbed to her injuries overnight.

Most of Hoskins' triumphs came in the velodrome and she helped Australia claim the team pursuit world title in 2015 in France, dethroning reigning four-time world and Olympic champions Great Britain. She also won silver in the 2012 scratch race in Melbourne.

Hoskins competed at two Olympic Games - London 2012 where Australia took fourth in the team pursuit, and Rio 2016 where she recovered from a training crash to be part of the squad which finished fifth.

The Western Australia native also enjoyed success on the road with team time trial medals at three consecutive Road World Championships (2012-14) as well as overall victory at the 2012 Tour of Chongming Island.

After her retirement from the saddle in 2017, Hoskins married fellow professional cyclist Rohan Dennis with the couple having two children.

On Sunday, two-time time trial world champion Dennis was arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life.

He has since been released on bail to appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court on 13 March.

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