THE coach of Germany’s canoe slalom team has died as a result of injuries suffered in a taxicab wreck in Rio on Friday. Stefan Henze was traveling back to the Olympic Village when his cab hit a concrete barrier. Henze was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, and never recovered from the brain injury.

    “Today the sport that the whole team came to Rio for recedes into the background,” said Germany’s team leader Michael Vesper in a statement Monday. “Our thoughts are with Stefan’s loved ones, who had the opportunity to say goodbye here.”

    “We are very sad today,” said German Olympic Committee President Alfons Hoermann. “Words can not describe approximately what we feel in the Olympic team after this terrible loss.”

    “The IOC is mourning the loss of a true Olympian,” said IOC President Thomas Bach. “Our sympathy is with the family of Stefan Henze, his friends and all of the German Olympic team.”

    Germany’s flag will be flown at half-staff at all Olympic venues for the remainder of the Games. The delegation is planning a tribute to Henze at the German village later.

    Henze was a silver medalist in the canoe slalom C2 at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

    (SD-Agencies)