US Olympic ski jumper Patrick Gasienica died Monday in a motorcycle accident in Bull Valley, Illinois. He was 24 years old.
The US Ski and Snowboard Team confirmed his death on Tuesday.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Patrick Gasienica, an incredible athlete, teammate and person,” a team statement reads. “Sending love to family, friends and the entire ski jumping community.”
USA Nordic, which oversees US ski jumping and Nordic combined, also released a statement.
“USA Nordic and the ski jumping community are saddened to learn of the passing of Patrick Gasienica. A 2022 Beijing Winter Olympian, Patrick was an incredible competitor, teammate and friend. He will be greatly missed.
“Rest in peace Patrick.”
The Bull Valley Police Department said he died after being involved in a motorcycle accident in suburban Chicago, according to The Associated Press. A GoFundme campaign shared by USA Nordic states that the accident happened while he was coming home from work. Details of the accident were not reported. Gasienica is survived by her mother, Jolanta, and her two sisters, according to the fundraiser.
Gasienica was born in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago, and trained from an early age at the nearby Norge Ski Club. In 2015, he made his competitive debut with FIS Ski Jumping, the governing body for international skiing and snowboarding. He competed twice for the United States at the FIS Junior World Ski Championships and once at the senior level in 2019.
Gasienica made the 2022 U.S. Olympic team and competed in Beijing. He finished 49th on the normal hill and 53rd on the long hill and was a member of 10th place in team competition alongside Casey Larson, Kevin Bickner and Decker Dean.