Japanese triathlete Tsudoi Miyazaki was tragically killed after being struck by a car in France on Wednesday.
The 25-year-old had just competed in the Pontevedra World Cup in Spain and, according to Triathlon.org , was riding her bike in Orleans - a city 69 miles outside of Paris when the devastating accident occurred.
Reports state the investigation is still ongoing and French police are yet to release any information regarding the incident. Japan Triathlon Union (JTU) has immediately dispatched staff members to France to join the training base staff to take care of the situation.
After confirming the news, a statement from World Triathlon read: "World Triathlon and the Japan Triathlon Union want to offer our deepest condolences to Ms. Miyazaki's family, friends, coaches and teammates. The thoughts of all the Triathlon Family are with you all in these terrible times."
Fans reacted to the news on social media as twitter user @Bruyere70 wrote: "So sad to hear. My thoughts and prayers are with all concerned," while @lynda_chase said: "That is so sad. Condolences to her family."
According to sources, Miyazaki was aiming to be selected for the 2024 and 2028 Olympics set to be held in Paris and Los Angeles. Miyazaki last posted on social media just two days ago, after competing at the Pontevedra World Cup.
She placed 50th with a total time of 2:13:33 before sharing a photo of herself in action. "I haven't reached a good level yet! That is an honest impression,” she said.
“It was a good experience, so I want to make use of what I felt next so that it doesn't end there! Thank you very much for letting me take on the challenge," Miyazaki captioned the post in Japanese. "Thank you for your encouragement."
Miyazaki began competing while she was at college and in 2019, she showed just how much potential she had after winning the Japan U23 Triathlon Championships in 2019.
At the the time of her tragic death, Miyazaki was ranked 142nd in the women’s World Triathlon Rankings and looked to make gains to keep as she planned to fulfil her Olympic dream.
