RIO DE JANEIRO: A canoe slalom coach from Germany died Monday after sustaining head injuries last week in a car crash in Rio de Janeiro, the country’s Olympic team said.
Stefan Henze, who was 35 and won a silver medal in canoe slalom at the 2004 Athens Games, died surrounded by his family, the team said.
“We know that Stefan’s own Olympic thoughts live on in many people,” Henze’s family said in a statement.
Henze had been in a Rio hospital since undergoing emergency surgery following the taxi accident on Friday.
“Today the sport which the whole team came to Rio for recedes into the background,” Germany team leader Michael Vesper said. “Our thoughts are with Stefan’s loved ones, who had the opportunity to say goodbye here.”
Sports scientist Christian Kaeding was in the taxi with Henze but had only slight injuries.