Olympics star dies weeks before making history at 2024 Paris Games

(Gray News) - An 18-year-old Olympics star died in a freak diving accident weeks before he was set to make history at the 2024 Paris Games

Jackson James Rice, also known as J.J. Rice, was free diving from a boat when he died from a ‘suspected shallow water blackout.’

His dad confirmed the tragic news with the Matangi Tonga newspaper.

Rice’s father also said other divers found his body sometime after noon on the seafloor under the boat. They tried to resuscitate him but he ultimately died from his injuries.

He was weeks away from making history at the Paris Olympics kite foiling event, the first time the sport has been part of the Games.

Kite foil boarding is a form of kiteboarding where instead of riding a board on the water’s surface, you ride the board to 1m above the water’s surface.

Rice finished eighth at the Sail Sydney event in December to earn his Olympic place.

His sister Lily paid tribute to her brother on Facebook on Sunday.

“I was blessed with the most amazing brother in the whole world and it pains me to say that he’s passed away ... he was an amazing kitefoiler and he would have made it to the Olympics and come out with a big shiny medal ... he made so many amazing friends all over the world,” she said.