18-Year-Old Olympic Athlete Passes Away Ahead Of Paris 2024 Olympics

by Danielle

 

18-year-old J.J. Rice, a United States-born kitefoiler who was to represent Tonga at the Paris 2024 Olympics, has died in a diving accident.

“Jackson James Rice was set to become the first Caucasian to represent Tonga at an Olympic Games,” the Associated Press stated.

His death occurred at Faleloa, on the island of Ha’apai in the Tonga archipelago.

United States-born kitefoiler J.J. Rice, who was to represent Tonga at the Paris Olympics, has died in a diving accident. He was 18. https://t.co/veOnvCaRkS

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) June 17, 2024

🔗: https://t.co/FpjAvTSQOz
Kitefoiler J.J. Rice—an aspiring Olympic athlete for the nation of Tonga—has passed away in a free diving accident. (📷: Facebook) pic.twitter.com/6dnO4aVRbz

— E! News (@enews) June 17, 2024

From the Associated Press:

He was free diving from a boat when he suffered a suspected shallow water blackout, Matangi Tonga reported. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

“I was blessed with the most amazing brother in the whole world and it pains me to say that he’s passed away,” Rice’s sister Lily said in a Facebook post. “He was an amazing kitefoiler and he would have made it to the Olympics and come out with a big shiny medal. He made so many amazing friends all over the world.”

Rice was born in the United States to British-born parents but grew up on Ha’apai where his parents operate a tourist lodge. He finished eighth at the Sail Sydney event in December to earn his Olympic place. Kitefoiling will be an Olympic sport for the first time in Paris…

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE… (wltreport.com)

 

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