A teenage kitefoiler who was set to make his Olympics debut next month has died in a freak accident.
JJ Rice, 18, was set to represent Tonga in kitefoiling at Paris 2024, but died whilst diving on Saturday according to a report from the Matangi Tonga Newspaper.
Rice was free-diving from a boat when he died from a suspected shallow water blackout. His body was found on the seafloor under the boat at about 12.15pm by other divers and attempts to resuscitate him failed.
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Born in the United States to English parents, Rice moved to Ha’apai as a child and had represented Tonga over the years in numerous international kitefoiling events.
His sister Lily posted a tribute on social media to her late brother on Sunday.
“I was blessed with the most amazing brother in the whole world and it pains me to say that he’s passed away,” she wrote on Facebook.
“He was an amazing kitefoiler and he would have made it to the Olympics and come out with a big shiny medal … he made so many amazing friends all over the world.”
Rice finished eighth at the Sail Sydney event in late-2023 to book a spot at the Olympics, where kitefoiling will be an event for the first time.
Kitefoil racing is similar to kite surfing, but instead uses a foil board.