RIO DE JANEIRO -- 2004 Olympic silver medalist Stefan Henze, coach of the Germany canoe team at the 2016 Olympic Games, passed away in Rio de Janeiro following a car accident he suffered Friday, the German Olympic committee announced on Monday.
German canoe coach dies following automobile accident in Rio de Janeiro
Stefan Henze passed away two days after a taxi he was riding in struck a pole.
Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
A European and World champion at the C-2 canoe slalom, Henze was at a bar with Cristian Katani, another member of the German team, and asked for a taxi to return to the Olympic Village. The taxi ended up crashing with a pole, leaving Henze in critical condition. Katani and the taxi driver, Artur de Almeida Campos, didn’t suffer major injuries.
According to sources, Henze suffered head trauma and was sent from the Lourenco Jorge Hospital to the Miguel Couto Hospital, where he underwent surgery. However, the former athlete wasn’t able to recover, and SB Nation confirmed that doctors declared brain death on Sunday.
The German Olympic team has scheduled a memorial in Henze’s tribute on Tuesday. The German Olympic committee requested that all German flags at all Olympic sites to be at half mast.
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