Olympic Athlete Eya Guezguez, 17, Has Died In A Sailing Accident & Her Twin Was Also Onboard

Teenager Eya Guezguez, the youngest female Olympian to compete at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics, has died after a training accident at sea.

Guezguez, 17, was practicing and gearing up for future competitions on Sunday with her twin sister and fellow Olympian, Sarra Guezguez, when strong winds reportedly caused their sailboat to capsize.

Eya drowned after getting trapped under the capsized boat, reported The Daily Star. Her sister, who was also on the boat, survived the accident.

The sisters competed in sailing during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held in the summer of 2021 and became the youngest female athletes at the games at 16.

They had been training to go back to the Olympics for Paris 2024, their Instagram accounts show.

The director's office of the nautical club of the Tunisian navy announced Guezguez's death on Sunday, reported Turkey's Andalou Agency news outlet.

The International Olympic Committee confirmed the news on Monday.

"I am shocked by the news of sailor Eya Guezguez's death," IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement. "She was an inspiring talent and role model for her athletes’ generation."

Officials are still investigating the incident.

Several people took to Twitter to mourn the loss of the young Tunisian athlete.

"Eya Guezguez, Tunisian Olympic Windsurfer, has passed away today after an accident at practice. Eya, along with her twin, Sarra, were the Youngest female athletes at the #Tokyo2020 Olympics," read his Tweet. "May she Rest In Peace."

The teen had hoped to compete in the Paris Olympics that are due to be held in 2024, during which she would have been 19.

A user claiming to be one of Guezguez's classmates paid tribute to the Olympic athlete on Twitter, saying: "It was really hard for me to take the news."

"[I| can't believe before the winter holidays, we gave her and her twin an award during an event I participated in," continued her tweet.