Canoe champion dies

Kolonics, 36, who won Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2000 and bronze medals in 1996 and 2004, fell unconscious and could not be resuscitated, Etele Barath, the federation's president told state news agency MTI.

"There's not a whole lot anybody can say for now, everybody who was there is in shock and can't really tell us what happened," Gabor Ganczer, a spokesman for the federation said.

Kolonics was set to compete in Beijing, his fifth Olympics, in the 500 metres and 1,000 metres double events with Gyorgy Kozmann.

In an international career spanning over 16 years, Kolonics won 15 world championship titles. He rose to national prominence in Hungary after taking the 500 metre doubles title in Atlanta with team-mate Csaba Horvath.