The
Samoan
sporting
community
has
suffered
a
tragic
loss
at
the
2024
Paris
Olympics.
Lionel
Fatu
Elika,
the
country’s
national
boxing
coach,
died
in
the
athletes’
Olympic
Village
July
26,
the
first
day
of
the
Games.
He
was
60
years
old.
The
coach,
who
was
working
with
Samoa’s
lone
2024
Olympic
boxer,
heavyweight
Ato
Plodzicki-Faoagali,
died
hours
before
that
evening’s
Opening
Ceremony.
“Elika
passed
away
this
morning,
local
Paris
time,
in
the
Games
Village,”
the
Samoa
Association
of
Sport
and
National
Olympic
Committee
said
in
a
statement,
adding
that
officials
met
with
Samoa’s
delegation—made
up
of
24
athletes—”to
reassure
them
ahead
of
the
Opening
Ceremony
today
and
competitions
over
the
next
two
weeks.”
The
International
Olympic
Committee
said
in
a
statement
July
27
that
Lionel
died
of
natural
causes
and
expressed
“its
condolences
to
the
entire
Samoan
NOC,
his
family
and
friends,”
the
Associated
Press
reported.
Following
news
of
the
death
of
Lionel,
also
known
as
Lionel
Elika
Fatupaito,
Ato
shared
a
tribute
to
his
coach.
Gossip
