A Samoan boxing coach has died after suffering cardiac arrest in the 2024 Paris Olympic village on Friday, officials said.
The sudden death of Lionel Fatu Elika, 60, was announced by the Samoa Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC) in a statement obtained by Fox News.
“Lionel was one of Samoa’s top boxing coaches and a great believer in the Olympic ideal,” SASNOC president Pauga Talalelei Pauga said.
“Our thoughts and those of the entire Samoan sporting community are with Lionel’s family, his boxers, and friends. He will be greatly missed.”
Fatu Elika was the team manager of the top-seeded men’s heavyweight boxer, Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali.
“No words can express how I feel but rest in love coach Lionel,” Plodzicki-Faoagali wrote in a Saturday Instagram Story, along with a picture of the men standing together.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Fatu Elika died of natural causes and expressed “its condolences to the entire Samoan NOC, his family and friends” in a statement obtained by the Washington Post.
The International Boxing Association also made a statement, using a different spelling of his name:
We at the International Boxing Association (IBA) extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Lionel Elika Fatupaito, the national boxing coach of Samoa, who tragically passed away during Paris 2024.
Lionel’s dedication and passion for the sport have left an indelible mark on the boxing community. His legacy will continue to inspire future generations. Our thoughts and prayers are with Team Samoa and all those affected by this profound loss.
Boxing is set to begin at the Olympics on Saturday, and Plodzicki-Faoagali will begin in the 92-kilogram competition on Sunday against an opponent from Belgium.
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