ATHLETICS: Death of Caroline Kearney Ireland's leading female triathlete has been killed while training in France.
Caroline Kearney (24), from Donabate, Co Dublin, died after she was struck by a car while training with a group of cyclists near Nice at about 5.30pm on Wednesday.
Kearney, Ireland's national triathlon champion in 2000, 2001 and 2002, was training full-time to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. For the past two years, she had been based at the Montpellier Triathlon Club.
Her family will travel to France today to make arrangements for the repatriation of her body.
Aoife Cullen, public relations officer with Triathlon Ireland, said the organisation was shocked to hear of Kearney's death. "She was really well-known to everyone; we have two athletes who have what it takes and she was definitely one of them."
Kearney's late mother, Ann, had been Ireland's foremost triathlete for some 18 years.
Pat Hickey, the president of the Olympic Council of Ireland, last night said Kearney was an extremely talented athlete and was a prime prospect for the Irish Olympic team for Beijing.
"Caroline outlined her Beijing training plans to the Olympic Council six weeks ago and we were highly impressed with her commitment and development programme," Hickey said. "We approved her programme and were in the process of arranging an Olympic aid grant.
"I've no doubt that she would have qualified for the Irish Olympic team for Beijing and become the first woman to represent our country at the Games in the sport of Triathlon.
"Caroline is a big loss to Irish sport and, on behalf of the Olympic movement, I wish to express our condolences to her family, friends and fellow athletes."
