Olympian's shock death at just 17
<p dir="ltr">Tunisian Olympic sailor Eya Guezguez has died at the age of 17, after an accident during national team training.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed the tragic news on Monday morning, sharing that Eya was sailing with her twin sister Sarra, who is two minutes older, when their boat capsized.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Eya drowned, passing away on Sunday, April 10, while her sister survived.</p>
<p dir="ltr">According to the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/africa/61067142" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em>, their coach was able to save Sarra from tangled rigging before finding Eya and attempting CPR.</p>
<p dir="ltr">She was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The pair competed at the Tokyo Olympics last year. </p>
<p dir="ltr">It is understood they had hopes of competing at the 2024 Games in Paris, as reported by <em><a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/olympic-sailor-eya-guezguez-dies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I am shocked by the news of sailor Eya Guezguez’s death. She was an inspiring talent and role model for her athletes’ generation,” IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement on the organisation’s <a href="https://olympics.com/en/news/olympic-sailor-eya-guezguez-dies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Eya Guezguez’s participation at Tokyo 2020 alongside her twin sister Sarra will continue to motivate girls everywhere. Our thoughts are with her family, friends and the Olympic community in Tunisia.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Tributes to Eya have begun to appear online from fans and members of the sporting world.</p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a04f8f31-7fff-adf3-23d0-864ebcd65e37"></span></p>
<p dir="ltr">“RIP Eya Guezguez, left much too soon.Olympian in sailing. Thoughts of her twin sister and her family,” Tunisian Twitter user Wa!id wrote.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Eya Guezguez, 16, Tunisian Olympic Windsurfer, has passed away today after an accident at practice.<br />Eya, along with her twin, Sarra, were the Youngest female athletes at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> Olympics...<br />May she Rest In Peace 😔 <a href="https://t.co/Pvt6lGEscq">pic.twitter.com/Pvt6lGEscq</a></p>
<p>— Souhail Khmira (@SKhmira) <a href="https://twitter.com/SKhmira/status/1513262295840866308?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p dir="ltr">“Barely 16 years old, our champion of sailing Eya Guezguez has died today after an accident during training for the national team,” Tunisian sports outlet Ettachkila wrote.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“We extend our condolences to her family and her loved ones.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Rest in peace.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Eya and Sarra were the youngest Olympians to ever represent Tunisia and the youngest sailors to compete at the Olympic Games.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The Tunisian Olympic Committee (CNOT) said her death was a “tragedy in the sports scene”, writing on Facebook that Eya had died while training for upcoming regional and international competitions.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“May God have mercy on the deceased, grant her eternal rest in paradise, and grant her family and relatives and the entire sports family a beautiful patience and solace,” CNOT said in a statement, per the <em>BBC</em>.</p>
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<p dir="ltr"><em>Image: International Olympic Committee</em></p>
