On Friday morning Benny Vansteelant died at hospital in Roeselare, Belgium. Last Saturday his bike was hit a car while he was training in the West Flemish municipality of Hooglede-Gits.

The duathlete sustained a double fracture to his leg, a broken shoulder, grazing to his face, a ruptured spleen and damage to his heart and lungs. He was rushed to hospital in Roeselare and remained in intensive care until Thursday afternoon.

The doctors at the hospital had said that they expected Benny Vansteelant to make a full recovery. He had been making good progress. He had left the hospital’s intensive care unit on Thursday afternoon and there were high hopes that he would be able to compete again at the highest level.
His heart stopped sometime between ward checks at 5:30am and 6:00am and despite some 30 minutes of effort to revive him it proved impossible.

The European Triathlon Union extends its deepest sympathies to his family, friends and the Belgian Triathlon Federation.