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3 months ago
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Members of the Australian women's pursuit cycling team have revealed their emotional tribute to cyclist Melissa Hoskins who was allegedly killed by her cycling champion husband Rohan Dennis.
Hoskins, 32, rode for Australia at the London and Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
Her husband, Olympic medal-winning cyclist Dennis, has been accused of killing the mother of two by running her over in his car outside their Adelaide home.
The former world champion was arrested in January and charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without due care and endangering life.
Police allege Dennis recklessly struck the 32-year-old mother of two with his car in front of their $2.45million home in Medindie in Adelaide's inner north on December 30. He has not entered a plea.
Georgia Baker, who is a former teammate of Hoskins and is currently competing in Paris, decided to get the team matching watches to honour Hoskins.
Hoskins had previously given one of the timepieces to Baker as a gift at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The team - consisting of Baker, Alexandra Manly, Chloe Moran, Maeve Plouffe and Sophie Edwards - posted a shot to Instagram of them wearing the timepieces earlier this week.
Members of the Aussie women's pursuit cycling team have paid tribute to cyclist Melissa Hoskins (left) who died in December 2023. Her cycling champion husband Rohan Dennis (right) has been accused of killing her by running her over outside their Adelaide home
Georgia Baker, who is an ex-teammate of Hoskins and currently competing in Paris, decided to get the team matching watches to honour their friend
'Georgie gifted us these precious watches to remember this moment in time,' they wrote.
'It's a way to remember the team and our journey together.
'A way to keep us united and to remember the memories left from this amazing experience.
'For Georgia's first Olympics in 2016 the late Melissa Hoskins gifted her and her teammates one and she still treasures it. She wanted to give us the same present.
'We could not be more thankful.'
AusCycling general manager Jesse Korf said that riders who knew Melissa will find the Games extra emotional.
'There's a couple of riders that overlapped with Melissa by getting into the national program when Melissa was still there,' Korf told News Corp.
'Particularly some of the more senior track endurance and track sprint riders.
'For sure, for some it will be extra emotional.
'It has been for a long time, obviously there's been moments of silences, memorials and a lot of support from the community as well.
The team said the watches were a way to remember their teammate after they received the timepieces from cyclist Georgia Baker (pictured)
The Paris Games are sure to be especially emotional for the Australian women's pursuit cycling team (pictured)
'That emotion is going to be very individual.'
The couple's apparent dream life collapsed suddenly on the night of December 30, 2023.
Emergency services rushed to the couple's plush home in Adelaide's inner-north just after 8pm.
South Australian Police arrested and charged Mr Dennis with the death of Ms Hoskins, alleging he struck her about 8pm while driving a ute.
Ms Hoskins, 32, suffered serious injuries in the crash and paramedics took her to Royal Adelaide Hospital for further treatment. She died at the hospital.
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