Nicole Reinhart, 24, bicycle racer

[T.E. Goodell]

BOSTON (AP) - Nicole Reinhart, a two-time U.S. National Track bicycle racing
champion, died Sunday when she was thrown from her bicycle and struck a tree
during a race in Arlington. She was 24.

Reinhart, of Mertztown, Pa., was in the final 3.5-mile lap of the BMC Tour of
Arlington when the accident occurred. The race was the final event of the
17-race Saturn Professional Tour, which Reinhart was leading.

At the Olympic velodrome in Sydney, U.S. team officials didn't tell two of
Reinhart's friends from Pennsylvania, Marty Nothstein and Tanya Lindenmuth,
until they had competed in qualifying races Monday morning (Sunday night EDT).

Reinhart did not qualify for the U.S. Olympic team.

A competitive rider since age 12, Reinhart won nine U.S. National Junior
Championship titles. She first excelled as a track racer and won two U.S.
National Track titles in 1997.

Reinhart had won the previous three races in this year's four-event BMC
Software Grand Prix, a road-racing event. She would have received a $250,000
bonus if she had won Sunday's race.

The money will instead be used to establish a foundation in her memory.

AP-NY-09-18-00 0610EDT

=================
We all shine on
like the moon, and the stars, and the sun
--John Lennon

[Karen Anderson O'Mara]

Have many athletes died while competing
in the Olympics, btw? (I can't think of
any...)

Karen

[A D Evans]

In article <39C6385B...@randomgraphics.com>, Karen Anderson O'Mara
<ka...@randomgraphics.com> writes

Two athletes (I think) have died as a result of participating in the
Olympics:
1. Francisco Lazaro, a Portuguese athlete collapsed from sunstroke and
heart trouble during the 1912 Marathon in Stockholm on July 14 and died
in hospital on the following day.

2. Knut Jensen, a Danish cyclist who died after suffered a fractured
skull during the team time trial event in Rome on August 26, 1960.

--
Andrew Evans

[Brad Ferguson]

In article <Q0gt6EAo...@hardys.demon.co.uk>, A D Evans
<ade...@hardys.demon.co.uk> wrote:

The Israelis in 1972, although that wasn't during competition (but did
come about "as a result of participating in the Olympics").

There are reports in the local media that Reinhart's death was caused
by her being crowded off the route and into the tree by other racers.

[PirateJohn]

In article <39C6385B...@randomgraphics.com>, Karen Anderson O'Mara
<ka...@randomgraphics.com> writes:

>Have many athletes died while competing
>in the Olympics, btw? (I can't think of
>any...)

Not answering the question directly, but it's interesting to note that the
winner of the Olympic Cycling Road Race from about 8 years ago died in a crash
during the Tour de France a few years ago. Cycling's a tough sport.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pirat...@aol.com
Keeper of the Humour List at http://members.aol.com/PirateJohn/pirate1.html

"Mother, mother ocean... I have heard your call" - Jimmy Buffett, A Pirate
Looks At Forty.

[Elvis]

Karen Anderson O'Mara <ka...@randomgraphics.com> wrote in message
news:39C6385B...@randomgraphics.com...

> Have many athletes died while competing
> in the Olympics, btw? (I can't think of
> any...)

Not *quite* answering your question, but this year alone, I can think of two
Olympic related deaths.

1. The wife of the IOC President died the day after the opening ceremonies.
Apparently she was ill for a long time.

2. Hyginus Anugo, a runner for Nigeria, was hit by a car and killed as he
crossed the street. He was in Australia with the team, but he had not been
selected for the team.

--
__o
_`\<,_ --- David
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