The team manager of the top-seeded heavyweight men’s heavyweight boxer at the Paris Olympics died suddenly at the athlete’s village in Saint Denis on Friday morning.
Lionel Elika Fatupaito passed away Friday morning at the village, according to a statement from the Oceania regional group of Olympic national committees. Fatupaito was a coach for the pacific island nation of Samoa.
According to French police, Fatupaito fell ill in his hotel room just hours ahead of the opening ceremony on Friday.
The International Olympic Committee said Elika Fatupaito died of natural causes. In a statement released Saturday, the committee extended “its condolences to the entire Samoan NOC, his family and friends.”
Fatupaito had made the trip to Paris with the Samoan team, which has a strong medal contender in Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali.
“No words can express how I feel but rest in love coach Lionel,” Plodzicki-Faoagali wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday.
Plodzicki-Faoagali will begin his Olympic run on Sunday in a round-of-16 bout against a Belgian opponent. He will be competing in his second Olympic games.
The 25-year-old heavyweight has won gold medals in the Pacific Games and two silver medals in the Commonwealth Games.
“Lionel was one of Samoa’s top boxing coaches and a great believer in the Olympic ideal,” the amoan Olympic body’s president, Pauga Talalelei Pauga, said in the IOC’s statement.
The Paris organizing committee said it was “deeply saddened to learn of the death of a member of the Samoan delegation. Our thoughts are with his family, his loved ones and his delegation.”
The International Boxing Association (IBA) said in a statement, “We at the IBA extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Lionel Elika Fatupaito, the national boxing coach of Samoa, who tragically passed away during the Paris 2024.”
“Lionel’s dedication and passion for the sport have left an indelible mark on the boxing community. His legacy will continue to inspire future generations. Our thoughts and prayers are with Team Samoa and all those affected by this profound loss.”