Nearly three years ago, champion cyclist Rohan Dennis stood on a podium in Tokyo and celebrated his place in sporting history as an individual Olympic medallist by taking bronze in the time trial.
His fall from stardom and recognition has been swift and surprising.
As Paris begins and the event that made him famous gets underway, Mr Dennis is at home in Adelaide preparing for his upcoming court appearance, accused of killing his wife, fellow cyclist and Olympian Melissa Hoskins.
Photographs taken of Mr Dennis this week show the suspected killer using his bike to take children to school, having swapped his speedo for suit trousers and a padded jacket.
His bike was equipped with a capsule-type seat and a fluorescent yellow stroller, a far cry from the sleek look it had on the velodrome.
Former Australian cyclist Rohan Dennis outside his home in Adelaide on Friday morning
THE DREAM
Mr Dennis is a three-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist.
She first came to prominence at the 2012 London Olympics, taking a silver medal in the 4000m team pursuit race on the track cycle.
At Brazil 2016, she finished fifth in the individual time trial, but perhaps her greatest achievement is her bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics on July 28, 2021.
Dennis took the podium at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after COVID delayed the Games.
Dennis could have been part of Australia’s cycling team for the Paris Olympics
In memorable scenes at the Fuji International Speedway, he claimed the medal with a time of 56:08.09.
At the time, Mr Dennis said he had done “everything possible” to take home the gold.
“Obviously it would have been great to get gold, but I did everything I could to be in this position and I was beaten by two better guys that day, so I can be proud of everything that I and the team have achieved,” he said.
In 2017, he became engaged to Ms. Hoskins, a fellow Olympian.
Ms Hoskins competed in track cycling at the London and Rio Olympic Games.
Dennis won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games before retiring from the sport in 2023.
In London, she came close to winning a medal, finishing fourth in the 3000m team pursuit.
In Rio, she finished fifth in the 4000m team pursuit.
In 2018, the couple tied the knot and settled into a leafy home in the exclusive Adelaide suburb of Medindie with their two children.
In 2022, Mr Dennis won a gold medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in the UK.
In 2023, she retired from cycling and thanked Ms Hoskins for her support in a heartfelt social media post.
“Thank you Melissa Dennis for supporting me throughout my entire professional career, while raising two of the best children I could ask for,” she said.
DECEMBER 30, 2023
The couple’s seemingly dream life suddenly collapsed on the night of December 30, 2023.
Emergency services were called to the couple’s luxury home in Adelaide’s inner-north shortly after 8pm.
South Australian police have arrested and charged Mr Dennis with Ms Hoskins’ death, alleging he struck her at around 8pm while driving a van.
Ms Hoskins, 32, suffered serious injuries in the crash and was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital by paramedics for further treatment. She died in hospital.
Police are investigating Rohan Dennis’ car after he crashed into his wife Melissa and killed her
“Major Crash officers attended the scene along with detectives from the Eastern District CIB to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident,” police said the following day.
‘Following an investigation, a 33-year-old man from Medindie has been arrested and charged.’
REMEMBERING MELISSA
Melissa’s father, Peter, mother Amanda and sister Jessica released a statement on January 2 expressing their grief at the terrible news.
“Words cannot convey our grief, sadness and the tragic circumstances of Melissa’s passing,” Peter wrote on behalf of the family.
‘Myself, Amanda, Jess and our families are completely devastated and still struggling to process what has happened.
‘Not only have we lost a daughter and a sister, her children have lost their mother, a free spirit, a donor with a big heart, patience and enthusiasm for life.
‘She was the rock of her life and ours and we must honour her memory so that they can grow up knowing who she was, what she stood for and what she gave to all whose lives she touched.
“The outpouring of grief and support has overwhelmed us. In her short life, Melissa has had so many positive touchpoints in the world and around the world.”
Hundreds of people gathered to pay their respects to the world-class cyclist at a public service in Adelaide on February 24.
Tributes continue to pour in for Hoskins, who was fired from public service in February.
“While we are still grieving, today is about celebrating Melissa, celebrating her love of life, the friendships she valued, her accomplishments and her triumphs,” Hoskins said.
The memorial service was held on Ms Hoskins’ 33rd birthday.
Jessica reflected on how that day was meant to be the first birthday Melissa would spend at home in a long time.
“She missed a lot of birthdays, Christmases, weddings, everything. This year we set out to change that,” she said.
The couple had intended to spend the weekend on a “sisters-only” trip to the Hunter Valley that Melissa had booked as a surprise a few months earlier.
Friends and family attend Melissa’s memorial service at Adelaide Town Hall
Jessica said it was “very difficult” to talk about her sister as she recalled the close bond they shared.
“I know that with time everything will get easier. It’s still surreal and there’s a lot of sadness,” she said.
“What happened was not fair. She had so much more to give.
“We all have our own wonderful memories of Mel. So please talk about her. Share those wonderful stories with your family, your friends and your children.”
Mr Dennis attended the funeral with the couple’s two children but did not speak during the service. He was photographed hugging guests before the ceremony began.
FROM THE PODIUM TO THE COURT
Mr Dennis made his first court appearance on 13 March.
Dressed in a dark navy suit, he was greeted by a crowd of reporters outside Adelaide Magistrates Court.
He refused to say anything as he entered and left the court, and remained silent in the dock throughout the proceedings before Magistrate Simon Smart.
Prosecutors asked for seven months to determine the final charges against the Olympian, arguing that they needed six months to complete the reconstruction report of the major accident and then another four weeks for the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine the charges.
Police have now charged Mr Dennis with causing death by dangerous driving.
He has not pleaded guilty or been charged.
Dennis will appear in court again on August 6, just a couple of days after the cycling events in Paris end.
Mr. Smart expressed surprise at the time requested by the prosecution, but the prosecutor clarified that the time requested would be backdated to the date of the accident and not the date of the hearing.
The court heard that day that work began to reconstruct what happened that night outside the couple’s home.
Mr. Dennis’s defense attorney did not object to the deadline.
Mr. Dennis remains free on bail and Mr. Smart also agreed to modify his conditions of appearance at the hearing.
As he left the pitch, Mr Dennis moved quickly through the scrum and climbed into a black car.
His next court appearance will be on August 6, just a couple of days after the cycling races in Paris conclude.
