27-Year-Old Brazilian Cycling Revelation Mariana Merlo Nascimento Dies of “Sudden Illness”

Cyclist Mariana Merlo Nascimento died on Friday night, January 14th, in Colatina, in the north of Espírito Santo. 

The family of the 27-year-old athlete believes she suffered from a “sudden illness” after feeling unwell that afternoon. 

Ana Paula Merlo, Mariana’s sister, said the cyclist was in the countryside and felt pain before going to Sílvio Avidos Hospital in Colatina.

Tragically, she passed away around 8pm that evening, and her body was transported to Vitória for an autopsy. 

Morre de https://t.co/zQgYX2EZ29 #Noticia

— Lisia Barth (@barth_lisia) January 15, 2022

Mal súbito: Morre Mariana Merlo, revelação do ciclismo, com apenas 27 anos.
A atleta morreu nesta sexta-feira (14). Segundo a família, Mariana teve um mal súbito durante a tarde e foi encaminhada ao Hospital Sílvio Avidos, onde, por volta das 20h veio à óbito.

Jornal A Gazeta pic.twitter.com/6vAxmnlZdn

— Fernanda Salles (@reportersalles) January 15, 2022

LUTO: Mariana Merlo Nascimento, revelação do ciclismo capixaba, tem “mal súbito” e morre aos 27 anos https://t.co/Zi2ydggPsv

— Terra Brasil Notícias (@TerraBrasilnot) January 15, 2022

Aliados Brasil reported (translated):

Mariana accumulated several awards in the elite category, being the champion of the Mountain Bike XCM 2020, among other competitions.

The president of the Espírito Santense Cycling Federation (FESC), Marcos Paulo Silva Duarte, highlighted that Mariana was a revelation athlete and that for about three years she had been standing out in competitions held in Espírito Santo, as well as in other places.

“She is the current Mountain Bike State Champion, and was even registered for the Mountain Bike State Championship, scheduled for this Sunday (16), in Marechal Floriano. On Friday (14), around noon, she had a sudden illness, was taken to the hospital, but died at night. It was a surprise for all of us. She was a new athlete, a revelation, and she had everything to show for it. I was starting to compete on a national level,” he said.

Terra Brasil Noticias added:

In a note on social media, FESC mourned the death of the cyclist. “FESC sympathizes with your family and friends, in addition to the entire MTB (Mountain Bike) ES community, for this irreparable loss, and we pray that God can comfort you, in this moment of great pain, in which words become small. and the spirit seeks the support of faith”, says the text of the note.