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Australian cyclist Melissa Dennis passed away on December 30, 2023, after she was allegedly hit by a car driven by her husband, Rohan Dennis, in Adelaide's inner north. Rohan Dennis has since been arrested and charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care, and endangering life, according to The Guardian. However, he was bailed and is set to appear in court in March 2023.
It is worth noting that just five days before 32-year-old Melissa's death, her husband had posted a picture of him, Melissa, and their two kids in front of a Christmas tree. In the caption, he wished his followers and their families "Merry Christmas."
A week before that, on December 15, 2023, he had posted a picture of him and Melissa Dennis sitting next to each other in a car, beaming from ear to ear. The caption read "I finally did it, I finally made @melissamdennis lose the plot."
Both Melissa Dennis and Rohan Dennis are Australian Olympic cyclists. They got married in 2018 in Perth and have two children together.
Melissa Dennis was a two-time Olympic cyclist, competing in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics
Melissa Dennis (née Hoskins) was born on February 24, 1991, in Kalamunda, Western Australia. A graduate of Murdoch University, where she received a bachelor's degree in Sports Science, Melissa was an Australian track and road racing cyclist.
Melissa first started track cycling at the age of fifteen and joined competitive cycling when she was sixteen. She was a member of the Northern Districts Cycling Club and her primary training base was in Adelaide.
According to ABC News, Melissa Dennis represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics and came in fourth place along with her team. She won gold in the women's team pursuit at the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships.
Melissa once again competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics but a serious injury with her fellow teammates set her back and her team came fifth overall. Melissa Dennis retired from professional sport in 2017 at the age of 25.
As mentioned earlier, Rohan and Melissa Dennis tied the knot in February 2018 and had their first child that same year. They lived with their two children in their $2.45 million mansion in a posh Adelaide suburb, The Daily Mail reported.
Rohan allegedly hit Melissa with his car outside their house
At around 8 pm on Saturday, Rohan allegedly hit Melissa with his $70,000 dark grey 2022 Volkswagen Amarok Highline V6 just outside their home. The incident is said to have been captured by the neighbor's security cameras.
According to The Daily Mail, South Australian Police state that Melissa allegedly jumped onto the bonnet of the car and grabbed the door handle. Rohan is alleged to have driven the car till his wife fell off.
A pair of teenage neighbors allegedly performed first aid on her till the paramedics arrived. Melissa Dennis suffered serious injuries and was driven to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where she died overnight.
Tribute poured in as the cycling world mourned Melissa Dennis
Melissa's sudden death sent a shockwave through the cycling community and there was an outpouring of tributes from all those who knew and loved her.
Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) were filled with posts expressing grief and shock over Melissa's death. CPA Women, a global association of female professional cyclists, tweeted that they were shocked by the news of her death.
As per ABC News, Australia's leading cycling body, AusCycling's CEO Marne Fechner also gave a statement about Melissa's death. Fechner said that Melissa was someone who "thrilled and inspired" people with her "exquisite skills on the track and road."
"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." Fechner added.
Anna Meares, a cyclist champion, is one of the many athletes to pay tribute to Melissa Dennis on X. GreenEDGE, Melissa's former team also made a statement on X.
According to The Daily Mail, Rohan Dennis, aged 33, is a two-time Olympic medalist at the 2013 and 2020 Olympics. He was also a stage winner in the 2015 Tour de France. He retired from professional cycling towards the end of 2023.
As mentioned earlier, Dennis was bailed to appear before the Adelaide Magistrates Court on March 13, 2024.
