Olympic Surfing hopeful Katherine Diaz killed by lightning while training for tournament

A surfer who had hopes of qualifying for the Olympics has been killed by lightning on a beach in El Salvador, national sporting officials said Saturday.

Katherine Diaz Hernandez, 22, was practising near her home at the Pacific coast beach of El Tunco when she was hit by lightning on Friday.

The president of the government's Salvadoran Sports Institute, Yamil Bukele, posted a message expressing condolences to her family.

She had been training a global tournament, set to be held in El Salvador, that serves as a qualifying event for this year's Summer Olympic Games.

Diaz also worked as a chef and had opened her own business in El Tunco.