Olympic Athletes Who Sadly Died

Even the greatest athletes in the world are, at the end of the day, only human. The Olympic Games are a showcase of the fittest of the fit, full of record-breaking feats and awe-inspiring triumphs, but many Olympic athletes have still sadly died in tragic and untimely ways. A surprising number of Olympians have excelled at competition, appearing to be real-life superheroes, only to have their medal-winning bodies fail them shortly after. Others, like luger Nodar Kumaritashvili and cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad, died during the Olympic Games they were competing in. Here are some Olympic athletes who sadly died far too young.

#Olympics #Athletes #FamousAthletes

Nodar Kumaritashvili | 0:00
Florence Joyner | 0:52
Bahman Golbarnezhad | 1:36
Steve Prefontaine | 2:14
Kobe Bryant | 3:07
The Munich Massacre victims | 4:09
Camille Muffat | 5:12
Sandra Schmirler | 5:47
Fabio Casartelli | 6:18
Alexander Dale Oen | 7:09
Pat Porter | 7:48
Sarah Tait | 8:25
Trevor Moore | 9:03

[mathildewesendonck]

Elena Shushunova from Russia should have been mentioned, she won two gold medals in the Seoul Olympics in 1988 in gymnastics. She died in 2018 from pneumonia. She was an idol for so many gymnasts and had a short, but very successful career. R.I.P. Elena ❤️

[superdavid]

Others who died young, Wyndham Halleswelle, Luz Long, Sergei Grinkov, Samuel Wanjiru, Fred Lorz, Alexander Belov, Pierre Quinon, and the 1961 US figure skating team members who died in a plane crash.

[kaylenesasse]

You left our Sergei, the Russian pairs skater who performed with his sweet wife and just laid down on the ice one day in the 90s and died due to a heart issue.

[donnawiess]

Also Kathleen Heddle, a triple gold medalist, who died of cancer recently aged about 53. And Victor Davis, a swimmer, who won gold and was hit by a car and died at age 24. Both Canadians. Kathleen
was a rower with Marnie McBean.

[teddyl]

Steve Holcomb, USA gold medal bobsled athlete, age 37, died May 6, 2017 at the Lake Placid Olympic & Paralympic Training Center. He was a team leader, an inspiration, and a great hope for the 2018 bobsled Olympic team. USA's greats now are Elana Meyers Taylor and Kaillie Humphries, incredible and inspirational athletes.

[glaznflip]

Left off figure skater denis ten, the first Kazakh skater to win an Olympic medal. Stabbed to death at age 25 in a scuffle by two men who attempted to steal his car mirrors. Senseless death for someone so talented who made tremendous contributions to his sport.

[mmm-uwep]

Jocelyn Lovell a renegade cyclist who was a three time Olympian for Canada. In 1983 he was hit by a dump truck while training, rendering him a quadriplegic. He became an advocate for the disabled. In 2016 he passed away at the age of 65.

[jhaezocibac]

They're all winners... May all their souls rest in eternal peace of paradise....

[AuntieSarahof]

Denis Ten from Kazakhstan won 2014 bronze Olympic medal and died July 2018 after being stabbed in a robbery.

[glendalangley]

This is so sad. I actually saw the luge event where the athlete flew off. I knew they had taken him to the hospital but I never heard that he died. There was a quote in here by Trever Moore that said,
“I can’t even explain to you what emotions and what it really means to be representing the United States. You are no longer representing yourself”.
RIP to all

[katiehirsche]

Christoper Bowman, American men’s singles figure skater and 2-time Worlds medalist, died in 2008 of a drug overdose.

Kira Ivanova, Soviet/Russian ladies’ singles skater and 1984 bronze medalist, found dead in her apartment covered in stab wounds in 2001.

Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya, Australian pairs skater who committed suicide at age 20 in 2020.

[Mls]

Dis sad 😭😭 since I am watching the 2020 Olympics now 😔😔

[danielhansen]

Nodar did not die on the 50/50 turn he died on the final turn 17 at the finish line but that's died is Steven Holcomb Olympic gold medalist bobsledder found dead in his room while in training in Lake Placid NY at the age of thirty-something.

[KelG]

I remember reading about Nodar! Was so sad to hear.

[liberty-matrix]

"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift. Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it." ~ Steve Prefontaine

[carolynduggan]

Rest In Peace Champions. Never Forgotten

[RivieraOrthodontics]

Samuel Wanjiru, gold medal in the Beijing Olympic marathon

[dorientjewoller]

Wow, no mentioning of Ivo Van Damme, 2 times silver medalist at the Olympics of Montreal, died in a car crash. Each year there is the Memorial Van Damme which in its turn is a leg in the Diamond League meetings.

[BumbleBee-zmus]

Denis ten was a figure skater from Kazakhstan, won bronze at 2014 winter olympics, got killed by thiefs who stabed him to death.

[krugerfuchs]

The first athlete to die since 1960 are we forgetting munich