Background[]
- Passed in 2011 in a cycling accident while on the road.
- From South Africa (also known as RSA)
Insights[]
When she was 15-years-old, Swart and her family moved to Georgia, in the United States (also known as USA) 
, but she continued to represent South Africa at international level.
In 2006 she attended Lees-McRae College, in North Carolina, receiving a scholarship for cycling and athletics.
She became the first cyclist to win national collegiate titles in all four disciplines - road, mountain biking, track and cyclocross - with 11 titles in the 2008 season.
Swart was 10th in the women’s road race at the 2010 Road World Championships in Melbourne, Australia (also known as AUS) 
, in October 2010 when she finished three seconds behind winner Giorgia Bronzini in a sprint finish.
Eight days later she placed eighth in the women's road race at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India (also known as IND) 
, in another sprint finish.
Swart was to have joined the HTC High Road team this year.
Media[]
Memorial for Swart[]
Port Elizabeth - Top South African cyclist Carla Swart’s life will be celebrated at a memorial service in Port Elizabeth on Thursday, February 3, 2011. Fellow cyclists are expected to gather at The Boardwalk Casino’s Vodacom Amphitheatre.
Swart, 23, was killed when she turned in front of an oncoming truck during a training ride in the Free State on January 19, 2011.
“It was Carla’s dream to represent South Africa at the world championships and she did us proud on and off the bike while living her dream,” said the director of Cycling South Africa’s road commission Hendrik Lemmer.
Last year, Swart placed 10th in the women’s race at the World Road Championships in Australia and eighth at the Commonwealth Games in India a week later.
She joined the American-based HTC-Highroad professional team this year and was considered one of the country’s best hopes for an Olympic medal in 2012.
Swart’s memorial service is timed to coincide with the South African Road Championships and The Herald VW Cycle Tour national classic the day after, as many of the country’s top cyclists will converge on Nelson Mandela Bay for these events.
The national championships take place from February 2-5, 2011, and The Herald VW Cycle Tour on February 5-6, 2011.
The Boardwalk will also play host to The Herald VW Cycle Tour’s pre-event expo and registration. Riders can register at the Tsitsikamma Conference Centre on Friday, February 4, from 09:00 to 19:00 or Saturday, February 5, from 09:00 to 17:00.