Olympic champion Katie Archibald attempted to resuscitate her partner, mountain biker Rab Wardell, when he “went into cardiac arrest” on Tuesday.
The 37-year-old died in his sleep two days after he won the elite men’s title at the Scottish MTB XC Championships in Dumfries and Galloway at the weekend.
In a statement on Tuesday evening, Scottish Cycling announced Wardell’s death, adding that it had “very little information” about it, but was “devastated” at the news.
Early on Wednesday morning, Archibald revealed that Wardell had gone “into cardiac arrest” while the two lay in bed, and she had attempted to revive him while parademics were on their way.
In a series of tweets she wrote: “I think you’ve heard that Rab died yesterday morning.
“I still don’t understand what’s happened; if this is real; why he’d be taken now – so healthy and happy.
“He went into cardiac arrest while we were lying in bed. I tried and tried, and the paramedics arrived within minutes, but his heart stopped and they couldn’t bring him back.
“Mine stopped with it. I love him so much and need him here with me. I need him here so badly, but he’s gone. I can’t describe this pain.
“Thank you to those making tributes. I can’t bear to talk about him in the past tense to say anything myself. You mean everything to me, Rab. I love you.”
Wardell had appeared on BBC Scotland’s The Nine programme on Monday evening.
The cyclist, who lived in Glasgow, told the BBC of how he had overcome three punctures to win the race at the weekend.
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