A former Olympic cycling champion is speaking out against what he calls unfair media coverage after receiving a suspended prison sentence in connection with his wife’s tragic death.
Rohan Dennis, a two-time world champion from Australia, was handed a suspended jail term last year following the 2023 death of his wife, Melissa Hoskins, who was also an accomplished Olympic track cyclist and former world champion.
The fatal incident occurred in an inner northern Adelaide suburb when Hoskins was struck by a vehicle operated by Dennis. Court proceedings revealed that following a domestic dispute, Hoskins grabbed onto the car as Dennis tried to drive away, resulting in her falling.
Dennis entered a guilty plea to an aggravated charge of creating the likelihood of harm. The presiding judge determined that while Dennis had failed to consider his wife’s safety, he bore no criminal responsibility for her death.
The court imposed a sentence of one year, four months and 28 days imprisonment, suspended for a two-year period, along with a five-year driving ban.
Taking to social media, the 35-year-old athlete expressed his love for his deceased wife and stated he never meant to cause her harm.
“The narrative which the media ran with was clear. They wanted me to look like the husband who abused his wife,” Dennis wrote.
“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.
“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.”
Dennis achieved significant success in professional cycling, capturing two world championship titles in time trial events. He also earned a silver medal in team pursuit at the 2012 Olympics and claimed bronze in time trial competition at the Tokyo Games.
Hoskins had her own distinguished cycling career, winning team pursuit gold at the 2015 world championships and representing Australia in both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
