Melissa Hoskins funeral: Perth cycling champion farewelled at moving Fremantle Cemetery service
Perth-raised Australian cycling champion Melissa Hoskins has been farewelled at a moving funeral service.
There were emotional scenes as dozens of mourners gathered at Fremantle Cemetery on Wednesday to grieve the talented sportswoman, who competed at two Olympic Games.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The former track and road cyclist died hours after she was struck by a ute outside of her home in an affluent Adelaide suburb on December 30.
In a tragic twist, the man allegedly driving the ute was her husband, Rohan Dennis, also an Olympian and former professional cyclist who only recently retired from the sport.
Mr Dennis attended the service on Wednesday
Seriously injured, Ms Hoskins was taken to Royal Adelaide Hospital about 8pm but died just hours later.
The mother-of-two would have turned 33 in February.
Ms Hoskins, who grew up in Kalamunda in the Perth Hills, began cycling at the age of 15 after she was selected for a WA Institute of Sport talent identification program.
Just three years later she was an Aussie champion.
Specialising in grueling endurance events, Ms Hoskins represented Australia at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, where she was involved in a crash during training that put her on crutches.
At the 2012 World Championships she was a member of the team that broke the world record in the semi-final — though their new record was broken a few minutes later by the British team.
She won gold in the women’s team pursuit at the 2015 World Championships and was a regular competitor at the AusCycling Road National Championships.
Ms Hoskins stepped away from professional cycling in 2017 and married Mr Dennis the following year.
The couple were planning to launch a winery and had recently moved into their Adelaide home, which they bought in 2019, with their two children.
It was at that home they celebrated their last Christmas together as a family, with the couple posting a picture of themselves with their two children next to a decorated tree on social media on Christmas Day.
A memorial service will also be held for Ms Hoskins in Adelaide later this month after the conclusion of the Tour Down Under cycling teams race.
