Rio 2016: German canoe coach dies after taxi crash

Germany's Stefan Henze, who has died after a taxi accident, won a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. / AP-Yonhap

By Choi Ha-young

Germany’s canoe slalom coach, Stefan Henze, died Monday after a high-speed road accident in Rio de Janeiro last week that left him with critical head injuries.

Henze, 35, a silver medalist at the 2004 Athens Games, died surrounded by his family. “We know that Stefan’s own Olympic thoughts live on in many people,” his family said.

Early Friday, he was returning to the Olympic village after a night out with colleague Cristian Katini, a team sport scientist, when the accident happened.

He had surgery but his condition did not improve.

German flags will be lowered to half-mast at every Olympics facility to honor Henze. And Germany’s canoe slalom team posted a black and white image of their coach on its social media account.

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