Coach Dies at Paris Olympics

(ProsperNews.net) – An Olympic boxing coach from Samoa died suddenly in Paris during the opening of the Olympics and was mourned by his team and others around the world. Lionel Fatu Elika, 60, died after suffering cardiac arrest due to natural causes in the Olympic village on Friday, July 26. Emergency services were summoned, but their attempts to revive Elika failed.

A statement was released by the Samoa Association of Sport and National Olympic Committee (SASNOC) discussing Elika’s death and highlighting his career. SASNOC President Pauga Talalelei Pauga called him one of the best boxing coaches in all of Samoa and expressed sympathies to all those who lost a friend or relative with his passing. He added that Elika believed in “the Olympic ideal.”

A statement was also published by the International Boxing Association (IBA) mourning Elika’s death and saying his legacy will result in the inspiration of generations of young boxers to come. The IBA used an alternative spelling for Elika’s name, Lionel Elika Fatupaito, and credited Elika with permanently improving the sport through his “dedication and passion” over the years.

One of Elika’s athletes posted a tribute on social media, explaining the impact the loss had on his performance. Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali is the only boxer from Samoa to compete, and described resisting the urge to pull out of the games despite having poorly acclimated due to jet lag and now mourning his coach’s death.

The death is just the latest headline to crop up in the press regarding the Olympics. The opening ceremony was highly controversial due to a pagan parody of the last supper offending Christian audiences. Organizers apologized for the “unintentional” offense which included drag queens and other gender-bending references to Greek mythology arrayed just like the 12 apostles in the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci.

A female swimmer from Brazil was sent home after she snuck out after curfew to spend time with her boyfriend. She’s contesting the issue with her country’s authorities.