Who was Tsudoi Miyazaki? Olympic hopeful triathlete, 25, dies after getting struck by car during training
ORLEANS, FRANCE: A Japanese triathlete and aspiring Olympian named Tsudoi Miyazaki was tragically killed on Wednesday, July 27, after she was struck by a car while training on her bike. She was 25 years old at the time of her death. According to World Triathlon, the terrible accident took place near Orleans which is almost two hours south of Paris where Miyazaki was staying for a triathlon training camp at an overseas base.
While the investigation is going on, the French police are yet to release any information regarding the incident. The Japan Triathlon Union have already dispatched additional resources to help the French authorities with their inquiry. A statement from World Triathlon read, "World Triathlon and the Japan Triathlon Union want to offer our deepest condolences to Ms. Miyazaki's family, friends, coaches and teammates. The thoughts of all the Triathlon Family are with you all in these terrible times."
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The deadly accident comes just days after Miyazaki competed in the Pontevedra World Cup in Spain. In fact, her last IG post was about the race and how she "hadn't reached my level yet!". "It was a good experience and I hope it doesn't end, and I'm going to use what I feel next," Miyazaki said in the caption. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the challenge. Thank you for your support." She finished 50th with a total time of 2:13:33 in the World Cup race which also happened to be the final one in her short career.
At the moment, not much information has been provided about the accident. It is also unclear whether the driver of the car was identified by the police or if he was arrested.
Who was Tsudoi Miyazaki?
Miyazaki was born in the year 1996 in Toyama City, Japan, before she took up triathlon in college. She won the Japan U23 Triathlon Championships in 2019 and was a highly-rated prospect in the sport. In 2022, she finished third in the Japan sprint triathlon championship. She was reportedly hoping to compete at both the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and was trying to improve her skills while training in France.
At the time of her death, Miyazaki was ranked 142nd in the women’s World Triathlon Rankings. While she had already achieved a lot of success in the field of sports, she was determined to win a medal at the upcoming Olympics.
