Tunisian Olympic sailor Eya Guezguez, who was the youngest at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, has died at the age of 17 in an accident at sea.
The International Olympics Association said the Tunisian was training with the national team on Sunday when the boat she and her twin sister Sarra were using capsized.
The sisters finished 21st in the sailing 49er FX event at Tokyo 2020 at the age of 16. It is believed that they had set their sights on competing at Paris in 2024.
Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, expressed his condolences in a statement.
“I am shocked by the news of sailor Eya Guezguez’s death. She was an inspiring talent and role model for her athletes’ generation,” he said. “Eya Guezguez’s participation at Tokyo 2020 alongside her twin sister Sarra will continue to motivate girls everywhere. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and the Olympic community in Tunisia.”
The Tunisian Olympic Committee (CNOT) described her death as “a tragedy in the sports scene”.
It said Guezguez was training for upcoming regional and international competitions in a dinghy that capsized due to windy weather.
CNOT president Mehrez Boussayan said the sisters’ coach was beside them in a speedboat at the time of the accident, according to a local radio station.
The coach reportedly managed to help Sarra before locating Eya. He attempted to resuscitate Eya by administering CPR but did not succeed. She was then taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead due to drowning.
“May God have mercy on the deceased, grant her eternal rest in paradise, and grant her family and relatives and the entire sports family a beautiful patience and solace,” the CNOT said in a statement.
Her death has sparked outrage in the sporting community in Tunisia, with many raising questions about safety and management’s responsibility, reported BBC News.
