Australian paracyclist Paige Greco, a Paralympic gold medalist at Tokyo 2020, died on Sunday at the age of 28 after suffering a “sudden medical episode” at her home in Adelaide (South Australia), her family said on Monday in a statement released by the national cycling federation, AusCycling. Greco made history at the Tokyo Games by winning the first gold for Australia, after setting the world record in the 3,000 meters individual race in the C1-C3 category. She also achieved two bronzes in road races and time trials and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2022 for her services to sport.
Paralympics Australia CEO Cameron Murray remembered Greco as “an extraordinary athlete and, above all, an exceptional person”, while AusCycling manager Marne Fechner underlined: “Her positive spirit and courageous attitude left its mark on everyone around her.” Before turning to adaptive cycling, Greco competed in para-athletics and attempted to qualify for the 2016 Rio Games, which eluded him. He later moved to Adelaide to train at the South Australian Institute of Sport and earn a degree in sports science.
Since his international debut in 2019, he has accumulated numerous world titles and records, as well as numerous world medals. This year he had added two bronzes in the World Cup and the Road World Cup, both held in Belgium. AusCycling and Paralympics Australia said they would offer support to the family and “appropriately honor” the cyclist’s sporting and human legacy.
