News Americas, New York, NY, August 22, 2024: The Venezuelan Olympic Committee has expressed sadness at the sudden, shocking death of Daniela Larreal Chirinos, a five-time Olympic cyclist who represented Venezuela for over a decade.
She passed away at the age of 50 in Las Vegas. Chirinos was discovered at her Las Vegas home on the afternoon of August 15, following a welfare check requested by a concerned friend, according to Luis Vidal, a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
While details are still emerging, Vidal confirmed that homicide detectives were not involved in the investigation. The Clark County coroner’s office is currently determining the cause and manner of her death. However, some media reports claimed she choked to death on food.
On X, the Committee praised her “outstanding career in track cycling” and recalling her accomplishments at the Olympic Games, which brought pride to the nation.
Chirinos competed in five Olympic Summer Games, starting with the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and concluding with the 2012 London Games, though she did not participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Her death came on the heels of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Chirinos, born on October 2, 1973, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, was destined for a life in cycling. She was the daughter of cyclist Daniel Larreal, who won a silver medal at the 1971 Pan American Games. Inspired by her father, she took to cycling at a young age, showing promise on the track. However, as a child, her passion was swimming. At just 13, she became the Venezuelan junior freestyle swimming champion in both the 50m and 100m events. She later transitioned to track cycling in 1989.
Larreal briefly pursued police science but soon shifted her focus entirely to cycling. Balancing education with her athletic career, she earned a degree in physical education in Venezuela and began studying for an equivalent qualification after relocating to the United States.
Like many successful athletes, Larreal received a house and car from the Venezuelan government. However, she later revealed to Spanish media that due to the crisis in Venezuela, such houses were often invaded by squatters, and the cars awarded were of poor quality—ones she claimed she could cycle faster than.
Larreal’s relationship with the Venezuelan government evolved over the years. In 2012, she publicly criticized the administration of Hugo Chávez, accusing them of mismanaging sports funding, particularly citing a case where non-existent athletes were sponsored to siphon foreign currency. Though she had previously supported Chávez’s political ideology, she voiced concern over the government’s inconsistent support of athletes. After Chávez’s death in 2013, Larreal became an outspoken critic of Nicolás Maduro’s government, accusing it of corruption, particularly within the Ministry of Sports. She called for audits, alleging that the government was using sports to launder money and traffic drugs. Her criticisms grew louder as she branded Maduro’s presidency a dictatorship and became an activist for democracy.
In 2016, facing death threats and banned from entering Venezuela, Larreal sought political asylum in the United States. Despite attempts by chavista media to discredit her, claiming she misused sports funding, she continued to stand firm in her opposition to Maduro’s government. In exile, she joined the opposition party Popular Will in 2016 and later aligned with Vente Venezuela, actively campaigning against the Venezuelan regime. Even in exile, Larreal supported democracy efforts, backing opposition leader MarÃa Corina Machado and posting about the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election.
During her time in the United States, Larreal lived in Miami, where she worked as an Uber driver, using her earnings to fund her education and send aid to her father in Venezuela, despite the regime often confiscating these packages. Later, she moved to Las Vegas and worked in a hotel, with reports suggesting she was employed as a waitress at the time of her passing.
