Photo: Getty Images
Ecuadorian Olympic track star Alex Quiñónez was fatally shot over the weekend. The 32-year-old bronze medalist was found shot to death on a street in the port city of Guayaquil, police said Saturday (October 23).
The local newspaper in Guayaquil, El Universo, reported Quiñónez and another man were killed in the northwestern section of the city just after 9:00 p.m. Friday (October 22).
Quiñónez rose to national stardom in 2012 at the London Games after finishing seventh in the men's 200 meter run. In 2019, Quiñónez earned the bronze in the 200 meter event at the World Championships in Doha.
There are currently no reports of arrests in Quiñónez' killing. Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso has publicly promised that Quiñónez's slaying "will not go unpunished."
The Ecuadorian Olympic Committee also confirmed Quiñónez's death in a statement, which noted that the circumstances surrounding his death "have not been clarified."
Photo: Getty Images
American track Olympian Noah Lyles reacted to the news of Quiñónez's death on Twitter, recalling the 2019 World Championships where they both competed.
"I had watched his progression over the last 2 years because he trained at my track and I was so proud of him," Lyles wrote in part.
Quiñónez's death marks the second killing of an Olympian this month. Kenyan long distance runner Agnes Tirop was found stabbed to death in her home earlier this month. Authorities later arrested her husband as a suspect in the crime.
Reading about Black trauma can have an impact on your mental health. If you or someone you know need immediate mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Get the latest news 24/7 on The Black Information Network. Listen now on the iHeartRadio app or click HERE to tune in live.