“An athlete of rare prowess” – AusCycling leads tributes to Melissa Dennis, née Hoskins

Tributes have been paid to Melissa Dennis, the former team pursuit world champion, with the head of AusCycling describing her as “an athlete of rare prowess.”

The 32 year old died in hospital in Adelaide yesterday morning from injuries sustained on Saturday evening when she was struck by a pick-up truck reportedly driven by her husband, retired cyclist Rohan Dennis, who has been charged with offences including causing death by dangerous driving, with subsequent press reports in Australia detailing police allegations against him.

The mother of two retired from competitive cycling ahead of her wedding in 2018, and three years earlier, competing under her maiden name, Melissa Hoskins, was part of the Australian quartet that won the gold medal and smashed the world record at the UCI Track World Championships in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, beating a previously dominant Great Britain in the final.

Australia went to the following year’s Olympic Games in Rio as one of the favourites to take the gold medal, but a crash in the velodrome during training and involving four of the five members of the endurance squad – including Hoskins, who would spend the following two days on crutches ahead of riding in the qualifying round – hampered their chances, finishing the competition in fifth place.

It was the second time that Hoskins had been selected for the Olympic Games, her debut coming at London 2012 where Australia finished just outside the medals in fourth place.

Besides the rainbow jersey she won in 2015, she was a three-time silver and one-time bronze medallist at the UCI Track World Championships, one of those silvers coming in the scratch race on home soil in Melbourne in 2012, the other medals in the team pursuit.

On the road, in 2012 she won the overall title at the Chinese stage rave, the Tour of Chongming Island, and she also won the Queen of the Mountains contest at the 2015 Women’s Tour.

Marne Fechner, CEO of governing body AusCycling, said in a statement: “Melissa, a mother, daughter, and wife, was also a champion cyclist who thrilled and inspired us with her exquisite skills on the track and road.

“She began her competitive cycling career at just 16, and by the time she retired at the age of 25 she had shown the world that she was an athlete of rare prowess.

“Melissa described her team pursuit gold medal at the 2015 UCI track cycling world championships as the highlight of her career, but for the rest of us, the highlight was just having her around,” she added.

Posting a picture of herself with Hoskins, two-time Olympic champion track cyclist Anna Meares said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: “I have a very heavy heart. My thoughts are with their children, family and fellow friends. This is a very difficult and tragic time. RIP.”

I have a very heavy heart. My thoughts are with their children, family and fellow friends. This is a very difficult and tragic time. RIP @MelissaMHoskins 💔 pic.twitter.com/aK8il9jePt

— Anna Meares (@AnnaMeares) December 31, 2023

The Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said on X that it “expressed the utmost sadness at the loss of Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins after the tragic events in Adelaide.

“Our condolences go to Melissa’s family, friends and the cycling community at this extremely difficult time.”

The AOC has expressed the utmost sadness at the loss of Olympic cyclist Melissa Hoskins after the tragic events in Adelaide.

Our condolences go to Melissa’s family, friends and the cycling community at this extremely difficult time. pic.twitter.com/oh8Z8w2qf8

— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) December 31, 2023

Adelaide newspaper The Advertiser has reported that police allege that during Saturday evening’s incident, she clung to the bonnet of the pick-up truck driven by her husband and tried to open one of its doors before, but he continued to drive until she was thrown from bonnet and dragged behind the vehicle for some distance.

Two-time world time trial champion Rohan Dennis, who retired at the end of the 2023 season, has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life.

The 33 year old has been released on bail and is due to appear at Adelaide Magistrates Court on 23 March.

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