Belgian Paralympian Marieke Vervoort dies through euthanasia aged 40

Belgian Paralympian Marieke Vervoort has died aged 40 after ending her life through euthanasia.

Vervoort, a Paralympic gold medalist at London 2012, lived with a degenerative spinal condition that caused her constant pain and made sleeping very difficult.

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According to reports Vervoort “responded to her choice on Tuesday evening.”

Vervoort won gold in the T52 100m wheelchair race and silver in the 200m race at the London 2012 Paralympics, and claimed two further medals at Rio 2016.

Euthanasia is legal in Belgium, and in 2008, she received assisted suicide approval after receiving consent from three different doctors.