Rohan Dennis condemns media after suspended sentence over wife’s death
Former cycling world champion Rohan Dennis has publicly condemned the media for creating a false narrative following his suspended prison sentence over the death of his wife, Melissa Hoskins.
Ms Hoskins, a celebrated Olympic track cyclist, died in 2023 after being struck by a vehicle driven by her husband in an Adelaide suburb.
A court previously heard she had held onto the car as he attempted to drive away following an argument.
The 35-year-old admitted to an aggravated count of creating the likelihood of harm and received a suspended sentence of just over 16 months.
‘False narrative’ and media criticism
In a recent statement posted to social media, the two-time time trial world champion strongly denied any intention to cause physical harm.
“The narrative which the media ran with was clear,” wrote the Australian rider.
“They wanted me to look like the husband who abused his wife.”
Demands for family privacy
The former Olympian also accused journalists of harassing his family, expressing particular concern over the ongoing treatment of his children.
“The media speak about the children and how saddened they are for the children, yet they happily stalk, follow and harass not just adults in my family but even when the kids are involved,” he stated.
“They know I never intentionally or unintentionally used a vehicle as a weapon… Time for all you so-called journalists and media outlets to back off and leave my family alone.”
Decorated careers on the track
Prior to stepping away from the sport, the former professional was considered one of the foremost time trial specialists of his generation.
His late wife was equally decorated, securing a team pursuit gold medal at the 2015 World Championships.
She also proudly represented Australia at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
