Soraya Jimenez, the weightlifter who won a gold medal in 2000 in Sydney to become Mexico's first female Olympic champion, died of a heart attack at the age of 35.
After a number of injuries forced her to retire from weightlifting, Jiminez became a sportscaster for the Televisa television network.
The Mexican Olympic Committee released a statement mourning the death of Jiminez, who was called "one of the most beloved athletes" of the nation.
Jimenez, who took home the gold in Sydney's Olympic Games for the women's 58 kilogram category, was the first Mexican woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She lifted a total of 497 pounds.
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Maria Espinoza won a gold medal in taekwondo, the only other Mexican woman to win an Olympic gold.
Despite problems with her health and injuries, Jiminez shocked many in the sport with her retirement in 2004. She had been accused in 2002 of doping, but was later cleared of the charges.
