Cyclist Rohan Dennis receives suspended sentence over Olympian wife’s death

By Jessica Coates, PA

Former Olympic cyclist and world champion Rohan Dennis has received a suspended sentence over a charge linked to a crash that caused the death of his wife.

Fellow Australian Olympian Melissa Hoskins died aged 32 after being hit by a car outside the couple’s Adelaide home on December 30th, 2023.

He was sentenced to one year, four months and 28 days in jail, to be suspended on the condition that Dennis also enter into a two-year good behaviour bond.

His driver’s licence was also suspended.

The 34-year-old appeared before the South Australia District Court on Wednesday after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of committing an aggravated act likely to cause harm.

Dennis was arrested after Hoskins was struck by his car in front of their home. She suffered serious injuries and later died in hospital.

Hoskins represented Australia in the team pursuit on the track at the Olympics in London 2012 and Rio 2016, as well as being part of the squad which won the world title in 2015.

The couple were married in 2018 and have two children.

Dennis retired at the end of the 2023 season after a career which saw him twice win the world time trial title, as well as an Olympic bronze medal in the same discipline in Tokyo.

He added a silver in the team pursuit in London and wore the yellow jersey at the Tour de after winning the opening time trial in 2015.