List of athletics competitors who died during their careers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A number of athletics competitors have died during their careers. Sometimes, the deaths came during competition or practice, while other times deaths occurred due to road accidents or other non-sports-related reasons.

Pre's Rock, a memorial to Steve Prefontaine who died after finishing 4th in the 1972 Olympic 5000 m
Memorial to Bronisław Malinowski, who died one year after winning an Olympic gold medal
Plaque commemorating Ryan Shay, who died while running the 2008 United States Olympic trials marathon

The list does not include athletes who died during World War I or during World War II, when international athletics competitions were largely put on pause.

List

The following is an incomplete list of athletics competitors who died or disappeared during their professional or amateur careers.

More information Date, Image ...
DateImageNameNationalityAgeEventsCause
15 Jul 1912Francisco Lázaro Portugal24MarathonCollapsed during the 1912 Olympic marathon due to dehydration and high body temperature.[1]
18 Aug 1931Eric Krenz United States25Discus throwDrowning.[2]
15 Apr 1933George Saling United States23110 metres hurdlesCar crash.[3]
30 Jun 1946Donato Pavesi Italy5710 kilometres walkDied while racewalking during a race held in his honor.[4]
11 Nov 1950Les McKeand Australia26Triple jump, javelin throwCar crash.[5]
15 Dec 1950Jaakko Jouppila Finland27Shot putMurder-suicide of his wife.[6]
26 Aug 1951Jakob Jutz Switzerland35-36MarathonSuffered heart failure while running the 1951 Swiss Marathon Championships.[7]
2 Aug 1960Bob Gutowski United States25Pole vaultCar accident.[8]
29 Sep 1962Owe Jonsson Sweden21200 metresCar crash.[9]
11 Dec 1962Jorma Valkama Finland34Long jumpCar crash.[10]
9 Jan 1968Kōkichi Tsuburaya Japan27MarathonSuicide.[11]
23 Nov 1968Aurelio Janet Cuba23Javelin throwCar crash.[12]
22 Dec 1969Rolf Hoppe Chile24Javelin throwCar accident.[13]
8 Dec 1971A. K. M. Miraj Uddin Bangladesh23Pole vault, long jump, 110 metres hurdlesDisappearance after capture by Pakistani army.[14]
17 Feb 1973Ezra Burnham Barbados25400 metresCar accident.[15]
30 May 1975Steve Prefontaine United States245000 metres, 10,000 metres, mileCar accident.[16]
29 Dec 1976Ivo Van Damme Belgium24800 metres, 1500 metresCar accident.[17]
7 Jun 1977Jim Buchanan Canada21Long jumpCar accident.[18]
26 Aug 1977Tadeusz Zieliński Poland313000 metres steeplechaseCar accident.[19]
Jul 1981Dele Udo Nigeria24400 metresKilled by a Nigerian police officer following an argument.[20]
27 Sep 1981Bronisław Malinowski Poland303000 metres steeplechaseCar accident.[21]
12 Nov 1984Christopher Brathwaite Trinidad and Tobago36100 metres, 200 metresMurdered by a sniper.[22]
29 May 1990Mohamed Shah Alam Bangladesh27100 metres, 200 metresMotorcycle accident.[23]
23 Aug 1990Yutaka Kanai Japan3010,000 metresCar crash.[24]
Tomoyuki Taniguchi [ja] Japan29Marathon
1 Sep 1992Desta Asgedom Ethiopia201500 metres, 800 metresStruck by a pickup truck, ruled a suicide.[25]
6 Apr 1993Miguel Ángel Gómez Spain24200 metresMotorcycle accident.[26]
29 Mar 1994Paul Spangler United States951500 metres to MarathonMasters world record holder died on his daily 7 mile training run[27]
13 Aug 1994Simon Robert Naali Tanzania28MarathonDied from hit-and-run injuries.[28]
1 Oct 1994Oluyemi Kayode Nigeria26200 metresCar crash.[29]
18 Sep 1995Oleh Tverdokhlib Ukraine25400 metres hurdlesElectric shock
29 Jul 1996Georgi Dakov Bulgaria28High jumpCar accident.[30]
8 Aug 1998Walter Merlo Italy33Long-distance runningFell from the Corno Stella mountain.[31]
7 Sep 2000Hyginus Anugo Nigeria22400 metresCar crash.[32]
31 Mar 2001Diego García Spain39MarathonSudden cardiac death during a training run.[33]
4 Aug 2003Pål Arne Fagernes Norway29Javelin throwCar accident.[34]
25 Dec 2004Ian Syster South Africa28MarathonDrowning after car accident.[35]
14 Aug 2004Robert Howard United States28Triple jumpMurder-suicide of his wife.[36]
27 May 2005Piotr Gładki Poland33MarathonCar accident.[37]
5 Jun 2005Matic Šušteršič Slovenia2560 metres, 100 metresCar accident along with two other Slovenian athletes, Patrik Cvetan (23) and Nejc Lipnik (17).[38]
9 Sep 2006Émilie Mondor Canada255000 metresCar crash.[39]
21 Jan 2007Maria Cioncan Romania291500 metresCar accident.[40]
3 Nov 2007Ryan Shay United States28MarathonCollapsed during the U.S. marathon trials for the 2008 Olympics, died due to heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia.[41]
16 Jun 2008Tom Compernolle Belgium325000 metresCar accident.[42]
18 Feb 2009Kamila Skolimowska Poland26Hammer throwPulmonary embolism.[43]
29 Aug 2010Dejene Berhanu Ethiopia295000 metresSuicide.[44]
11 Sep 2010Taavi Peetre Estonia27Shot put, discus throwBoat accident.[45]
15 May 2011Samuel Wanjiru Kenya24MarathonFall from balcony.[46]
26 Jun 2012Daniel Batman Australia31200 metres, 400 metresCar crash.[47]
5 Dec 2012Yves Niaré France35Shot putCar crash.[48]
19 Jan 2013Abderrahim Goumri Morocco36MarathonCar crash; died one year into his doping ban.[49]
10 Jul 2014Peter Mutuku Kenya203000 metres steeplechaseCar crash.[50]
28 Jul 2014Torrin Lawrence United States25400 metresCar crash.[51]
Oct 2015Yuliya Balykina Belarus31100 metresMurdered by boyfriend.[52]
28 Aug 2017David Torrence Peru311500 metres, 5000 metresDrowning.[53]
8 Aug 2018Nicholas Bett Kenya28400 metres hurdlesCar accident.[54]
19 Aug 2019Margarita Plavunova Russia25100 metres hurdles, 400 metres hurdlesAcute heart failure while jogging.[55]
7 Jan 2020Kennedy Njiru Kenya32-333000 metres steeplechaseCar accident.[56]
4 Feb 2020Abadi Hadis Ethiopia225000 metres, 10000 metresUnspecified illness.[57]
26 Feb 2020Braian Toledo Argentina26Javelin throwMotorcycle crash.[58]
24 Sep 2020Ondřej Hodboď [cs] Czech Republic193000 metres steeplechaseSuicide.[59]
8 Nov 2020Clevonte Lodge-Bean Bermuda18400 metresCar crash.[60]
22 May 2021Liang Jing China31UltramarathonGansu ultramarathon disaster.[61]
Huang Guanjun China33-34
26 Jun 2021Abdalelah Haroun Qatar24400 metresCar accident.[62]
9 Aug 2021Cameron Burrell United States26100 metres, long jumpSuicide.[63]
13 Oct 2021Agnes Tirop Kenya2510,000 metres, cross countryStabbing.[64]
Sep 2021Jason Carty Great Britain5160 metres, 100 metresLung cancer.[65]
22 Oct 2021Álex Quiñónez Ecuador32200 metres, 100 metresMurdered outside a shopping centre.[66]
10 Jan 2022Deon Lendore Trinidad and Tobago29400 metresCar crash.[67]
16 Apr 2022Damaris Muthee Bahrain285000 metres, cross countryMurdered.[68]
24 Apr 2022Kaushalya Madushani Sri Lanka26400 metres hurdlesSuicide.[69]
23 Jan 2023Edrissa Marong Gambia27800 metresUnspecified illness.[70]
23 Apr 2023Tori Bowie United States32100 metres, long jumpComplications of childbirth.[71]
23 Apr 2023Samuel Kiplimo Kosgei Kenya37MarathonRoad accident.[72]
31 Aug 2023Mbuleli Mathanga South Africa295000 metres, 10000 metres, Half marathonApparent suicide.[73]
31 Dec 2023Benjamin Kiplagat Uganda343000 metres steeplechaseStabbed to death.[74]
11 Feb 2024Kelvin Kiptum Kenya24MarathonCar accident.[75]
5 September 2024Rebecca Cheptegei Uganda33MarathonMurdered.[76]
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Former athletics competitors who died during other sporting careers

See also

References

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