Ecuadorian Olympic sprinter Alex Quinones was shot and killed. Olympic news

Officials mourned Quinones’ murder, and violence in Ecuador has risen sharply in recent months.

Ecuadorian Olympic sprinter Alex Quinones was shot dead in the port city of Guayaquil.

According to the police, Quinonez, 32, and another person were found dead at midnight on Friday (05:00 GMT). The killing caused grief in a country struggling to curb the surge of violence.

Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso promised to bring the killer to justice.

“Those who kill Ecuadorians will not go unpunished. We will take military action,” Russo wrote on Twitter.

“No one will rest until @PoliciaEcuador catches the culprit. We are facing a war with the drug gang that intends to subdue us,” Guayas Governor Pablo Arosemena tweeted In particular.

The country’s Sports Ministry confirmed Quinones’ death on Twitter, paying tribute to “the country’s greatest sprinter”.

“We have lost a great athlete who made us dream and moved us,” the ministry said.

Quiñonez’s wife Jennifer Lugo was seen outside the morgue in Guayaquil, Ecuador [Fernando Méndez / AFP]

Quinonez maintained Ecuador’s 200-meter sprint record with 19.87 seconds.

He was a finalist at the 2012 London Olympics and finished seventh in the semifinals next to Usain Bolt.

Quinonez won the 200m bronze medal at the 2019 Qatar World Championships.

The Ecuador Olympic Committee stated that Quinones’ death “left us with deep pain” and his “legacy will always remain in our hearts”.

Andrea Sotomayor, secretary general of the Ecuador Olympic Committee, wrote: “I cannot express in words the sadness, helplessness and indignation that overwhelm me.”

“Alex Quinones is synonymous with humility, and a clear example of resilience. His defeat made us chest pain.”

In a funeral home in southern Guayaquil, Ecuador, relatives carry the coffin of Ecuadorian athlete Quinones [Fernando Méndez / AFP]

The Ministry of Sports said that Sunday’s memorial service will see athletes’ coffins being placed in a burning chapel on a football field in the town.

Quinonez’s killing comes at a time when violence in Ecuador has increased dramatically in recent months.

According to the government, between January and October this year, the country registered nearly 1,900 homicides, compared with 1,400 in 2020.

Last week, President Russo declared a state of emergency throughout the country, and the army will patrol and search the streets in the last 60 days.

Quinonez is preparing to train in the United States, with a view to officially returning to the field and eventually participating in the World Athletics Championships in Oregon next year.

As a strong contender for the Tokyo Olympic podium, Quinones was unable to participate in the competition due to sanctions by the International Athletics Federation because he did not correctly report his whereabouts during the anti-doping test outside the competition.