US Olympic cyclist Kelly Catlin found dead in her home at age 23

Kelly Catlin

FILE – In this Wednesday, July 22, 2015 file photo, United States gold medalist Kelly Catlin poses after winning the women’s individual time trial cycling competition at the Pan Am Games in Milton, Ontario. Olympic track cyclist Kelly Catlin, who helped the U.S. women’s pursuit team win the silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016, died Friday, March 8, 2019 at her home in California. She was 23. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Olympic track cyclist Kelly Catlin, who helped the U.S. women’s pursuit team win the silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, died Friday at her home in California. She was 23.

USA Cycling chief executive Rob DeMartini said in a statement Sunday that “the entire cycling community is mourning this immense loss. We are offering continuous support to Kelly’s teammates, coaches and staff. We also encourage all those who knew Kelly to support each other through the grieving.”

Catlin’s father, Mark Catlin, told VeloNews that his daughter killed herself.

Catlin was born and raised near Minneapolis, Minnesota, and rose to prominence on the track as a member of the U.S. national team. She also raced on the road for the Rally UHC Pro Cycling Team, and she was pursuing a graduate degree in computational mathematics at Stanford.

HOW TO GET HELP

The Department of Health (DOH) earlier said suicide is a tragedy that could be avoided. Those who may need help can contact its Hopeline, a 24/7 suicide prevention hotline in the Philippines, at (02) 804-4673 and 0917-5584673, 0917-5582919 for Globe and TM subscribers.

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