Carla Swart

Carla Swart (26 November 1987 – 19 January 2011) was a South African cyclist who won nineteen individual and team cycling titles.[1]

Swart moved to the United States in 2004 as a teenager.[2] She attended Lees-McRae College where she was awarded scholarships in running and cycling.[3]

Career

Carla Swart became the first cyclist to win all four U.S. collegiate titles in one season (2008).[3] She placed 10th in the women's road race in the 2010 UCI Road World Championships, and had placed eighth at the Commonwealth Games in October of that year. She signed with the HTC-Highroad cycling team shortly before her death.[3] Her career spanned 21 national titles in four different biking disciplines: cyclo-cross, mountain bike, road, and track.[2]

Death

Swart died whilst training in South Africa after being hit by a truck. Evidently she had looked over her left shoulder, as if she were in the United States, instead of her right, as would normally be the case in South Africa, as vehicles drive on the left-hand side of the road.[3] HTC–Highroad Women teammate Ellen van Dijk dedicated her stage win and general classification vicotory at the 2011 Ladies Tour of Qatar to Swart. The prize money Van Dijk earned in Qatar was sent to her family.[4][5] Lees-McRae College has a scholarship named in her honor.

See also

References

  1. ↑ CQ
  2. 1 2 Weislo, Laura (23 January 2011). "Cycling world remembers Carla Swart". Cycling News. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 ESPN "Carla Swart dies following accident". Retrieved 9 February 2011
  4. ↑ "Ellen Van Dijk dedicates Qatar win to Carla Swart". velonews. 3 February 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
  5. ↑ "HTC-Highroad Dedicates Qatar Victory to Carla Swart". firstendurance.com. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2013.
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