Lionel Elika Fatupaito, a highly respected coach of the Samoan Olympic boxing team, died on Friday, July 26, 2024, at the age of 60. Fatupaito suffered a severe heart attack in the athletes’ village in Paris, France. The medical crisis happened around 10:20 a.m. while he was in his room with an athlete. Despite swift response from emergency services, Fatupaito couldn’t be revived. His death was ruled as natural by French authorities.
The International Boxing Federation (IBA) expressed their condolences to Fatupaito’s family, friends, and associates. They recognized Fatupaito’s unwavering dedication and passion for the sport, stating that his influence will continue to motivate future athletes. They also extended their thoughts and prayers to the Samoan team and those affected by his demise.
Fatupaito’s death was a significant setback for the sports community in Samoa, particularly the national boxing team. Pauga Talalelei Pauga, the President of the Samoa Association of Sports and National Olympics Committee, paid tribute to Fatupaito, referring to him as one of Samoa’s most accomplished boxing coaches and a staunch advocate of Olympic values. He stated that Fatupaito would be greatly missed and that the entire Samoan sports community’s thoughts are with Lionel’s family, his trainees, and friends.
Samoa was participating in its 11th consecutive Summer Olympic Games, with heavyweight boxer Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali representing the country. Plodzicki-Faoagali earned his place in the Olympics following his victory at the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara, Solomon Islands. In an emotional social media post, Plodzicki-Faoagali expressed his sorrow, stating that he could not put his feelings into words and wished his coach eternal peace. He reminisced about their last photo taken just a day prior and shared memories of meeting Coach Lionel at age 15 while trying out for Samoa’s Youth team, praising him as a kind and generous mentor.
The Samoan delegation has felt the impact of Fatupaito’s passing. Before their competitions, the team held a prayer session in his honor. The Samoan Olympic Committee addressed the 24 athletes in the delegation as they readied for their events, emphasizing Fatupaito’s significant contribution to the team and the larger sports community.
This is the sixth occurrence of a coach dying during the Olympics in modern times. The most recent instance was during the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, when Stefan Henze, a German canoe slalom coach, died from injuries sustained in a taxi accident. The other four were Israeli coaches, victims of the Munich Olympics massacre in 1972.
Plodzicki-Faoagali, who shared a close relationship with Fatupaito, conveyed his sorrow and resolved to pay tribute to his coach’s memory by delivering his best performance at the Olympics. He acknowledged the deep sense of loss he felt, noting that Fatupaito’s calming influence would be greatly missed.