Photo: Instagram
The friends and loved ones of an elite swimmer whodied in Florida while trainingfor the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are paying tribute to the young athlete in the wake of his death.
Ryan Lochte was among the many to mourn To’s death publicly, with the U.S. Olympic swimmer sharing photos of his former competitor on Instagram.
Wrote Lochte, “Words cannot express how saddened I am at the passing of Kenneth To. The world has lost an incredible human being. I’m so grateful to have been able to call him a friend and to have gotten to know him over the past several years.”
“He was not only a fierce competitor but more importantly, he was a really good person,” continued Lochte. “My heart goes out to his family, his girlfriend and friends. I’ll miss you buddy. #rip.”
To — 26 — fell ill during a training session at the Gator Swim Club at the University of Florida in Gainesville on Monday, according to astatementfrom the Hong Kong Sports Institute. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died. To’s cause of death was not immediately clear.
USA Swimming and the Australian Olympic Team were among the other groups to react to To’s death.
To’s girlfriend, Kelly Kwong, also reportedly broke her silence on social media after To’s Monday death, according to theSouth China Morning Post.
Clive Rose/Getty
Kwong and To had been dating since 2015 after they met at a World Cup short-course meeting, where Kwong was an announcer, thePostreported.
To frequently posted photos with Kwong on his social media accounts, including a sweet snap of the couple traveling through Australia in December 2018.
The swimmer also celebrated his three-year anniversary with Kwong in September.
“3 years and counting! Couldn’t be happier,” he wrote on Instagram of a photo of the happy couple sipping drinks with a scenic view.
To was born in Hong Kong and moved to Australia as a child, but transferred his nationality back to Hong Kong in 2016, and was training to compete in the upcoming 2020 summer games in Tokyo.
He won six medals at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore, taking the gold medal in the 400-meter medley. He later won a silver medal as part of part of Australia’s 400-medley relay squad at the 2013 world championships in Barcelona.
source: people.com
