Olympic track cyclist Kelly Catlin, who helped the U.S. women’s pursuit team win the silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, died Friday at her home in California. She was 23.
USA Cycling chief executive Rob DeMartini said in a statement Sunday that “the entire cycling community is mourning this immense loss. We are offering continuous support to Kelly’s teammates, coaches and staff. We also encourage all those who knew Kelly to support each other through the grieving.”
Catlin’s father, Mark Catlin, told VeloNews that his daughter died by suicide.
Catlin was born and raised near Minneapolis, Minn., and rose to prominence on the track as a member of the U.S. national team. She also raced on the road for the Rally UHC Pro Cycling Team and was pursuing a graduate degree in computational mathematics at Stanford.
Catlin won a gold medal in the women’s individual time trial at the Pan Am Games in Toronto in 2015.
Her former Olympic teammate, Chloe Dygert, paid tribute to her with a tweet on Sunday. “We will miss you forever,” Dygert wrote.
Where to get help
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention, Depression Hurts and Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 all offer ways of getting help if you, or someone you know, may be suffering from mental health issues.