German gymnastics champion dies suddenly at 16

Promising German gymnast Mia Sophie Licke died at the age of 16, the press service of the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) reports. The tragedy occurred on November 16, but the official death notice was published by the DTB only earlier this week. According to preliminary assumptions, the cause of death was cardiac arrest.

"Mia Sophie Litke died last Thursday 'suddenly and unexpectedly', shocking the national team and the entire team," the obituary reads. In a statement, the Federation expresses its "deepest condolences to Mia's family in these difficult hours" and wishes them all the strength "to get through this sad event."

Last July, Mia Lietke made the biggest leap of her career when she joined the German national rhythmic gymnastics team and won the national junior championship in the ball routine and became the vice-champion in the all-around.

The 16-year-old girl was a training partner of six-time world champion Daria Varfolomeyev.

"You will always be in our hearts as an exceptional person," Varfolomeyev wrote on Instagram.

Lietke has been training at the Berlin Federal Rhythmic Gymnastics Base for the past six years, and in January she moved to the National Gymnastics Center in Felbach-Schmiden.

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