Germany’s canoe slalom coach Stefan Henze has died as a result of the head injuries he sustained in a car crash in Rio de Janeiro on Friday morning, the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) has announced.

The 35-year-old was travelling back to the athletes’ village in a taxi with Cristian Katini, a sports scientist on the team, when they hit a concrete barrier head on.

Henze, a former Olympian who won a silver medal in the canoe slalom C2 at the 2004 Games in Athens, was taken to the nearest hospital for emergency brain surgery and his condition was described as “critical”.

Everyone at FCA is devastated to hear the news of Germany canoe coach Stefan Henze's tragic passing. Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/AeQzJBqgeB

— FC Augsburg English (@FCA_World) August 15, 2016

DOSB announced his death in a statement on its website, saying: “The coach of the German canoe slalom team at the Olympic Games succumbed to his head injuries in the presence of his family.”

DOSB president Alfons Hormann said: “We are very sad today.

“Words can not describe approximately what we feel in the Olympic team after this terrible loss.”