Eya Guezguez: the 17-year-old Olympic sailor dies in an accident while training

Olympic sailor Eya Guezguez died after her boat capsized during training. (CNN) – Teenager Eya Guezguez, who represented Tunisia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, was killed in an accident while she was training on Sunday, according to a Facebook post from the Tunisian Olympic Committee. Guezguez, 17, was laid to rest on Monday in Ariana, Tunisia, after the Asr prayer, the Tunisian Olympic Committee said on Facebook. According to Olympics.com, Guezguez was sailing with her twin sister Sarra when her boat capsized due to high winds. Sarra, who competed with Eya in Tokyo, survived the crash. Both were training with the Tunisian national team for upcoming regional and international competitions, according to the Tunisian Olympic Committee. Olympics.com reports that the sisters were hoping to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Last summer, Eya and Sarra Guezguez finished 21st in the 49er FX trial at the Tokyo Olympics. “May Allah have mercy on the deceased, grant him eternal rest in Paradise and grant his family and close friends and the entire sports family patience and consolation. We belong to Allah and we will return to him,” the Tunisian Olympic Committee declared. “I am shocked by the news of the death of the sailor Eya Guezguez,” said the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach. “She was an inspiring talent and a role model for her generation of athletes.” Eya Guezguez’s participation in Tokyo 2020 alongside her twin sister Sarra de ella will continue to motivate girls around the world. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and the Olympic community in Tunisia.” CNN has contacted the Tunisian Olympic Committee for more information. CNN’s Hamdi Alkhshali contributed his information to this report.