Australian Paralympic gold medallist Paige Greco has died at the age of 28, BBC reports.
The para-cyclist, who won Australia’s first gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, passed away on Sunday at her home in Adelaide following a “sudden medical episode,” AusCycling, the national cycling body, confirmed.
Greco’s mother, Natalie, described the family as “devastated by her loss, [but] incredibly proud of the person she was and the way she represented Australia.” She added, “Paige meant everything to us. Her kindness, determination and warmth touched our family every day.”
Early Life and Sporting Beginnings
Born with cerebral palsy, Greco began her sporting career in track-and-field before switching to cycling in 2018. Over her career, she earned multiple World Championship titles and World Cup medals.
At the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, she set a new record in the women’s C1–3 3,000m individual pursuit, a track event where cyclists race head-to-head on opposite sides of the track. She also claimed bronze medals in the women’s C1–3 road race and time trial.
Greco missed the selection rounds for last year’s Games in Paris due to health issues but returned to elite competition this year. In August, she won a bronze medal at the para-cycling World Championships in Belgium in the C3 road race.
Tributes have poured in from across Australia’s sporting community. AusCycling CEO Marne Fechner called her “an extraordinary athlete who achieved outstanding accomplishments at the highest levels of the sport.”
She added, “Much more than that, she touched the lives of everyone around her with her positive spirit and courageous outlook.”
Paralympics Australia CEO Cameron Murray said, “Paige’s achievements on the international stage were exceptional, but it was her kindness, quiet determination and the way she uplifted those around her that will stay with us all. She had a rare ability to make people feel included and supported, and her influence will leave a lasting impression on many.”
Kursiv also reports that Sky Sports has closed its new female-focused TikTok channel, Halo, following criticism that its content was «patronising» and «sexist.»
