Daniela Larreal Chirinos, an Olympic cyclist has been found dead at her home after she reportedly choked on her food.

The former athlete had failed to show up at the hotel where she worked before concerned colleagues alerted the authorities.

According to Mail Online, Police officers went to her flat in Las Vegas on Friday, August 16, and found her body inside.

It is believed she has been dead since August 11, with her colleagues contacting authorities on August 12.

According to sources close to the investigation, Larreal, 50, died from asphyxiation.

The post-mortem examination reportedly found solid food remnants in her windpipe, suggesting she’d choked to death.

However, the cause of death has not yet been officially confirmed by police.

Larreal was one of Venezuela’s most distinguished athletes.

She competed in five Olympic Games – Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and London 2012. She was awarded four diplomas in track cycling, as reported by NeedToKnow.

Larreal was the leading figure in Venezuelan cycling from 1990 to 2012. She won a silver medal at the 1990 Central American Games in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

She won another two silvers at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Larreal also won three golds and a silver at the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador.