AN OLYMPIC athlete has tragically died after reportedly choking on her food.<br /><br />Daniela Larreal Chirinos, a Venezuelan track cyclist, was found dead at her Las Vegas home last Friday when cops stormed inside to check on her.<br /><br />Authorities were alerted when Larreal, 50, failed to attend the hotel where she worked.<br /><br />It is believed she has been dead since August 11 - one day before her concerned colleagues flagged it to cops.<br /><br />Larreal is said to have died from asphyxiation, sources close to the investigation say.<br /><br />The post-mortem reportedly found food in her windpipe, suggesting she died from choking.<br /><br />However, the Las Vegas police department has not yet confirmed the official cause of death.<br /><br />Larreal raced in sprint disciplines of cycling, including Keirin, sprinting, and time trials.<br /><br />She competed in five Olympic Games – Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and London 2012.<br /><br />Despite not winning medals at the Olympics, the Venezuelan cyclist won several gongs at South American games, Pan-American competitions, and Cycling World Cups.
