- List of sportspeople who died during their careers
-
This is a list of sports people who have died either during their respective careers or due to career-ending injury or disease at an age when they could still have been active. It includes both on-duty and off-duty deaths, although there are separate lists for the former in sports which have an especially high number. People who had announced their retirement from sport despite still being at an age when they could still have been active are not listed.
Air sport
Does not include those who died in aircraft sport crashes such as aerobatics and air racing. Those names go in a separate article.
Further information: List of people who died in aviation-related incidents- Carl Boenish, 43, American cinematographer (1984)
- Patrick de Gayardon, 38, French skydiver and aviation pioneer (1998)
- Rob Harris, 28, American skydiver (1995)
- Roger Nelson, 47, American skydiver (2003)
American football
Pro Football
Arena Football League
- Johnathan Goddard, 27, Colorado Crush, Defensive End, motorcycle accident (2008)
- Al Lucas, 26, Los Angeles Avengers, Defensive Tackle fatal neck injury (in-game) (2005)
- Justin Skaggs, 28, Utah Blaze, Wide Receiver, brain cancer (2007)
National Football League
This table includes players who left the NFL for active military service. Each player is listed with his last team, even if it is not the team with which he is typically associated.
† Davis was under contract when he died though did not play in a game due to his illness.
†† Johnson was injured in a pre-season game and did not play in a regular season game.NFL Europe
- Donald Sellers, 26, WR, Scottish Claymores, car accident (2001)
XFL
- Troy Stark, 28, OL, New York/New Jersey Hitmen, complications from surgery (2001)
College football
NCAA football
Player Age University Position Cause of death Year Sal Aunese 21 University of Colorado quarterback stomach cancer 1989 Avery Atkins 20 University of Florida Cornerback MDMA overdose 2007 Eraste Autin 18 University of Florida fullback heat stroke 2001 Marlin Barnes 22 University of Miami homicide 1996 Nick Bell 20 Mississippi State University defensive end brain cancer 2010 Heath Benedict 24 Newberry College offensive tackle enlarged heart 2008 Brook Berringer 22 University of Nebraska quarterback plane crash 1996 Kendall Berry 22 Florida International University homicide (stabbed) 2010 Austin Box[1] 22 University of Oklahoma linebacker drug overdose 2011[2] Thomas E. Bloom 21 Purdue University fullback car accident 1963 Taylor Bradford 21 University of Memphis defensive tackle homicide 2007 Teddy Craft 22 Georgia Southern University wide receiver motorcycle accident 2009 Mario Danelo 21 USC kicker fell off a cliff 2007 Devaughn Darling 19 Florida State University linebacker cardiac arrhythmia, possible sickle cell complications 2001 Berndt Diettrich Simon Fraser University drowned as a result of heart failure Keeley Dorsey 19 University of South Florida long QT syndrome 2007 Kwane Doster 21 Vanderbilt University running back homicide 2004 Aaron Douglas[3] 21 University of Alabama offensive tackle found dead in a house in Fernandina Beach, Florida 2011[4] Todd Doxey 19 University of Oregon defensive back drowned 2008 Trent DiGiuro 20 University of Kentucky homicide 1994 Butch Duhe 21 Louisiana State University brain hemorrhage 1970 Brandon Fails 18 Texas A&M blood clot in leg 2002 George Gipp 25 Notre Dame strep throat infection and pneumonia 1920 Vernon Grant 22 Oklahoma State University car crash 2005 Michael Guliford 19 University of Florida motorcycle accident 2007 Brandon Hall 19 University of Minnesota homicide (shooting) 2002 Danroy “DJ’’ Henry Jr. 20 Pace University wide receiver and defensive back killed in police shooting 2010[5] Brian Hiemer 21 University of Nebraska suicide 1985 Jasper Howard 20 University of Connecticut homicide (stabbed) 2009 Jawan Jackson 19 Northern Illinois University died during conditioning drills 2002 Sean Matti 22 Purdue University Running Back drowned in lake 2011 Chucky Mullins 21 University of Mississippi complications from a spinal cord injury suffered in an on-field collision in 1989 1991 Naeshall D. Menard 20 Louisiana State University Center suicide 1998 Aaron O'Neil 19 University of Missouri defensive back heat stroke 2005 Greg Page 19 University of Kentucky defensive end neck injury sustained in practice 1967[6][7] Bryan Pata 22 University of Miami homicide 2006 Cole Pittman 21 University of Texas defensive tackle car crash 2001 Ereck Plancher 19 University of Central Florida athlete heat stroke 2008 Greg Pratt 20 Auburn University fullback collapsed on practice field 1983 Mike Reily 21 Williams College center and middle linebacker Hodgkin's disease 1964[8] Joe Roth 21 University of California Berkeley melanoma 1977 John "Button" Salmon 22 University of Arizona quarterback car crash 1926[9] Daniel Schatz 19 University of Missouri quarterback car accident 2010 Derek Sheely 22 Frostburg State University fullback brain injury from a helmet-to-helmet hit in practice[10] 2011 Shannon Smith 20 University of Hawaii kicker drowned 1997 Freddie Steinmark 22 University of Texas defensive back osteosarcoma 1971 Artie Steinmetz 19 University of Kentucky defensive tackle vehicular homicide 1998[11] Rodney Stowers 20 Mississippi State University nose guard pulmonary hemorrhage after suffering a broken leg in a game 1991[12] Owen Thomas 21 University of Pennsylvania defensive end suicide 2010[13] Jack Trice 21 Iowa State University lung hemorrhage and internal bleeding due to injuries sustained in game against the University of Minnesota 1923 McCollins Umeh 18 University of Arizona enlarged heart 2004 Rashidi Wheeler 22 Northwestern University defensive back heat stroke 2001 Curtis Williams 24 University of Washington complications from a spinal cord injury suffered in an on-field collision in 2000 2001 Earl Wilson 24 US Naval Academy quarterback neck injury sustained in a game against Villanova University in 1909 1910 Marcellis Williamson 22 Ohio University defensive lineman heart attack 2011 - Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, 37 members died in an airplane crash (1970)
- Wichita State University Shockers football team, most of the starting players and coaches died in an airplane crash (1970)
- Cal Poly Mustangs football team, 16 players and 6 others died in an airplane crash (1960)
Association football (soccer)
Does not include footballers who died on the pitch during a game or training, or because of injuries or other health issues suffered on the pitch. Those names go in a separate article. Please refer to the article List of footballers who died while playing.
Player Age Nationality Position Cause of death Year Nikolai Abramov 27 Russian defender heart failure 2011 Martin Aldridge 25 English forward car accident 2000 Alemão 23 Brazilian striker car accident 2007 George Allan 24 Scottish forward tuberculosis 1899 John Allan Scottish Battle of Arras 1917 Shalva Apkhazava 23 Georgian striker heart attack 2004 Georgi Asparuhov 28 Bulgarian striker car accident 1971 Valerio Bacigalupo 25 Italian goalkeeper Superga air disaster 1949 Aldo Ballarin 27 Italian defender Superga air disaster 1949 Dino Ballarin 23 Italian goalkeeper Superga air disaster 1949 Harry Bamford 38 English defender motorcycle accident 1958 Maurice Banach 24 German striker car accident 1991 Patrick Banda 22 Zambian striker Gabon air disaster 1993 Mike Barrett 24 English winger cancer 1984 Elson Becerra 27 Colombian striker homicide 2006 Mario Beltrán 23 Colombian midfielder car accident 2009 Julio César Benítez 27 Uruguayan defender food poisoning 1968 Geoff Bent 25 English defender Munich air disaster 1958 Filippo Biondi 20 Italian defender car accident 1996 Einar Örn Birgisson 27 Icelandic midfielder homicide 2000 Milo Bongiorni 28 French midfielder Superga air disaster 1949 Luc Borrelli 33 French goalkeeper car accident 1999 Othman Boughanmi Tunisian defender heart defect Gary Bownes 26 Northern Irish striker suicide 2005 James Boyd Scottish Battle of the Somme 1916 Robert Bradley English defender died during his sleep 1934 Thomas Bradshaw 26 English winger consumption 1899 Shane Brennan 23 Irish winger collapsing roof accident 2005 Shamil Burziyev 25 Russian midfielder car accident 2010 Richard Butcher 29 English midfielder cardiac arrhythmia 2011 Barry Butler 31 English defender car accident 1966 Roger Byrne 28 English defender Munich air disaster 1958 Eusebio Castigliano 28 Italian midfielder Superga air disaster 1949 Ramiro Castillo 31 Bolivian midfielder suicide 1997 Luciano Re Cecconi 28 Italian midfielder shot during practical joke 1977 David Efford Chabala 33 Zambian goalkeeper Gabon air disaster 1993 Whiteson Changwe 23 Zambian defender Gabon air disaster 1993 Wisdom Mumba Chansa 29 Zambian midfielder Gabon air disaster 1993 Moses Chikwalakwala 19 Zambian midfielder Gabon air disaster 1993 Samuel Chomba 29 Zambian defender Gabon air disaster 1993 Andriy Chopenko 26 Ukrainian midfielder car accident 2003 Dave Clement 34 English defender suicide 1982 Ludo Coeck 30 Belgian midfielder car accident 1985 Eddie Colman 21 English midfielder Munich air disaster 1958 Ernie Cooksey 28 English midfielder skin cancer 2008 Davie Cooper 39 Scottish winger brain haemorrhage 1995 Hernan Córdoba 19 Colombian striker car accident 2009 Federico Crescentini 24 San Marinese defender drowned 2006 Enrico Cucchi 30 Italian midfielder cancer 1996 Laurie Cunningham 33 English striker car accident 1989 Duncan Currie Scottish Battle of the Somme 1916 Mattia Dal Bello 20 Italian midfielder car accident 2004 Vitaly Daraselia 25 Soviet striker car accident 1982 Alan Davies 30 Welsh winger suicide 1992 Jimmy Davis 21 English winger car accident 2003 Ruud Degenaar 25 Dutch-Suriname defender Surinam air disaster 1989 Sébastien Demeersman 37 Belgian winger suicide 2008 Dener 23 Brazilian striker car accident 1994 Kazimierz Deyna 41 Polish midfielder car accident 1989 Vladimir Dimitrijević 20 Serbian defender heart attack 2001 Danilo di Vincenzo 28 Italian striker car accident 1996 Stan Docking English midfielder heart attack Lloyd Doesburg 29 Dutch-Suriname goalkeeper Surinam air disaster 1989 Hussein Dokmak 25 Lebanese defender car bomb 2007 Steve van Dorpel 23 Dutch-Suriname striker Surinam air disaster 1989 Marcio Dos Santos 28 Peruvian striker heart attack 2002 Ibrahim Dossey 36 Ghanaian goalkeeper car accident 2008 Angus Douglas 29 Scottish winger Spanish flu 1918 Johnny Doyle 30 Scottish midfielder electrocuted 1981 Peter Dubovský 28 Slovakian striker diving accident 2000 Gustavo Eberto 24 Argentine goalkeeper testicular cancer 2007 Edivaldo 30 Brazilian striker car accident 1993 Duncan Edwards 21 English midfielder Munich air disaster 1958 Lutz Eigendorf 26 German midfielder car accident 1983 Youssef Elbai 30 French defender accident 2009 Ernest Ellis English Battle of the Somme 1916 Robert Enke 32 German goalkeeper suicide 2009 Andrés Escobar 27 Colombian defender homicide 1994 Roy Evans 25 Welsh defender car accident 1969 Rubens Fadini 21 Italian midfielder Superga air disaster 1949 Rommel Fernandez 27 Panamanian striker car accident 1993 Aaron Flahavan 25 English goalkeeper car accident 2001 Milton Flores 28 Honduran goalkeeper homicide 2003 Andrea Fortunato 23 Italian defender leukemia 1995 Wendel Fräser 22 Dutch-Suriname forward Surinam air disaster 1989 Francisco Frione 22 Uruguayan-Italian midfielder pneumonia 1935 Guglielmo Gabetto 33 Italian striker Superga air disaster 1949 Hubert Gad 24 Polish forward swimming accident 1939 Niccolò Galli 17 Italian defender motorbike accident 2001 Ibragim Gasanbekov 29 Azerbaijani-Russian striker car accident 1999 Sirous Ghayeghran 35 Iranian midfielder car accident 1998 Lenar Gilmullin 22 Russian defender motorcycle accident 2007 Frits Goodings 25 Dutch-Suriname Surinam air disaster 1989 Tommy Goodwill 22 English midfielder victim of World War I 1916 Harry Goslin 34 English defender killed in World War II 1943 Jefferson Gottardi 27 Bolivian striker Lou Gehrig's disease 2003 Craig Gowans 17 Scottish training ground accident 2005 Tom Gracie 26 Scottish leukemia 1915 Ruggero Grava 27 French striker Superga air disaster 1949 Giuseppe Grezar 30 Italian midfielder Superga air disaster 1949 Alan Groves 29 English winger heart attack 1978 Jerry Haatrecht 28 Dutch-Suriname Surinam air disaster 1989 Jeff Hall 29 English full-back polio 1959 Jimmy Hampson 31 English striker boating accident 1938 Austin Hayes 28 English winger lung cancer 1986 Conrad Hendricks 26 South African goalkeeper car accident 2006 Dean Horrix 28 English striker car accident 1990 Peter Houseman 31 English midfielder car accident 1977 Ralph Hunt 31 English striker car accident 1964 Besian Idrizaj 22 Austrian striker heart attack 2010 Zdeněk Jánoš 32 Czech goalkeeper car accident 1999 Daniel Jarque 26 Spanish defender heart attack 2009 Virgall Joemankhan 20 Dutch-Suriname Surinam air disaster 1989 Jack Jones 29 English forward Typhoid fever 1904 Mark Jones 24 English defender Munich air disaster 1958 Ray Jones 18 English striker car accident 2007 Rolston Jones Trinidad and Tobagan shot dead Godfrey Kangwa 29 Zambian midfielder Gabon air disaster 1993 Ihab Kareem 26 Iraqi midfielder injuries from bombing 2007 Dick Keith 33 Northern Irish defender accident dismantling a garage door 1967 Oliver King-Onzila 19 English midfielder stab wounds 2008 Alexei Klimenko Soviet execution by German soldiers during World War II (see The Death Match) 1943 Andro Knel 21 Dutch-Suriname midfielder Surinam air disaster 1989 Ruben Kogeldans 22 Dutch-Suriname defender Surinam air disaster 1989 Nikolai Korotkykh Soviet execution by German soldiers during World War II (see The Death Match) 1941 Yiannis Koskiniatis 25 Greek midfielder suicide 2008 Nikola Kotkov 32 Bulgarian striker car accident 1971 Marek Krejčí 26 Slovak striker car accident 2007 Mykola Kudrytsky 31 Ukrainian midfielder car accident 1994 Ernst Künz 32 Austrian defender military action during World War II 1944 Ivan Kuzmenko Soviet execution by German soldiers during World War II (see The Death Match) 1943 Pedro Lavoura 26 Venezuelan striker car accident 2000 Adam Ledwoń 34 Polish midfielder suicide 2008 Gift Leremi 22 South Africa midfielder car accident 2007 Mahicon Librelato 21 Brazilian striker car accident 2002 Ortwin Linger 21 Dutch-Suriname defender Surinam air disaster 1989 Ezio Loik 30 Itlaian midfielder Superga air disaster 1949 David Longhurst 25 English striker cardiac arrest 1990 John Lyons 26 English striker suicide 1982 Michael Maidens 20 English midfielder car accident 2007 Derby Makinka 26 Zambian midfielder Gabon air disaster 1993 Stephen Malcolm 30 Jamaican midfielder car accident 2001 Dragan Mance 22 Serbian striker car accident 1985 Lesley Manyathela 21 South Africa striker car accident 2003 Virgilio Maroso 23 Italian midfielder Superga air disaster 1949 Dennis Marshall 26 Costa Rican defender car accident 2011 Danilo Martelli 25 Italian midfielder Superga air disaster 1949 Moses Masuwa 22 Zambian striker Gabon air disaster 1993 Jason Mayélé 26 Congolese striker car accident 2002 Valentino Mazzola 30 Italian striker Superga air disaster 1949 Norrie McCathie 34 Scottish defender accidental carbon monoxide poisoning 1996 Bobby McKean 25 Scottish midfielder accidental carbon monoxide poisoning 1978 Tommy McLaren 29 Scottish midfielder suicide 1978 Tommy Meehan 28 English half-back encephalitis lethargica 1924 Romeo Menti 29 Italian striker Superga air disaster 1949 Vittorio Mero 27 Italian defender car accident 2002 Gigi Meroni 27 Italian winger car accident 1967 Claudio Milar 34 Uruguayan striker bus crash 2009 Michael Millett 17 English defender car accident 1995 Gionata Mingozzi 23 Italian midfielder car accident 2008 Damián Lucas Molina 20 Argentine goalkeeper respiratory problems caused by heart defect 2004 Emiliano Molina 17 Argentine goalkeeper car accident 2005 Lester Morgan 26 Costa Rican goalkeeper suicide 2002 Eddie Moussa 26 Swedish-Lebanese striker homicide 2010 Eston Mulenga 26 Zambian midfielder Gabon air disaster 1993 Winter Mumba 23 Zambian defender Gabon air disaster 1993 Kelvin Mutale 24 Zambian striker Gabon air disaster 1993 Richard Mwanza 33 Zambian goalkeeper Gabon air disaster 1993 Numba Mwila 21 Zambian midfielder Gabon air disaster 1993 Timothy Mwitwa 25 Zambian striker Gabon air disaster 1993 Hussein Naeem 20 Lebanese striker car bomb 2007 Alan Nicholls 22 English goalkeeper motorcycle accident 1995 John Nicholson 30 English defender car crash 1966 Antonio de Nigris 31 Mexican striker heart attack 2009 Rogério Oliveira 30 Brazilian striker heart attack 2006 Piero Operto 22 Italian defender Superga air disaster 1949 Franco Ossola 27 Italian striker Superga air disaster 1949 Josheph Ouhm 32 Cameroonese striker pulmonary edema 2009 Maksym Pashayev 20 Ukrainian defender car accident 2008 Fred Patrick 23 Dutch-Suriname midfielder Surinam air disaster 1989 Simon Patterson 24 English striker car accident 2006 Serhiy Perkhun 23 Ukrainian goalkeeper brain hemorrhage as a result of head injury 2001 David Pegg 22 English winger Munich air disaster 1958 Mark Philo 21 English midfielder car accident 2006 Clément Pinault 23 French defender heart attack 2009 Federico Pisani 22 Italian striker car accident 1997 Danijel Popović 20 Croatian midfielder car accident 2002 Abdón Porte 37 Uruguayan defender suicide 1918 Kiyan Prince 15 English midfielder (youth team) homicide 2006 Brian Purcell 30 Welsh defender car accident 1969 Antonio Puerta 22 Spanish midfielder heart attack during La Liga match 2007 Avi Ran 23 Israeli goalkeeper hit by speed boat 1987 Mel Rees 26 Welsh goalkeeper cancer 1993 Régis Brazilian defender bus crash Renato 28 Brazilian midfielder homicide during robbery 2004 Claudinei Resende 26 Brazilian midfielder homicide 2004 Mario Rigamonti 26 Italian midfielder Superga air disaster 1949 Dale Roberts 24 English goalkeeper suicide 2010 David Rocastle 33 English midfielder lymphoma 2001 Nick Ross 31 Scottish defender consumption/tuberculosis 1894 Miro Rys 20 Czech-American forward car accident 1977 Silvester Sabolčki 23 Croatian defender car accident 2003 Diego Santa Cruz 22 Parguayan striker car accident 2005 Mirko Saric 21 Argentine midfielder suicide 2000 Andy Scharmin 21 Dutch-Suriname defender Surinam air disaster 1989 Julius Schubert 26 Hungarian striker Superga air disaster 1949 Sergio Schulmeister 25 Argentine goalkeeper suicide 2003 Kenan Simambe 19 Zambian defender Gabon air disaster 1993 Matthias Sindelar 35 Austrian striker officially carbon monoxide poisoning (see Matthias Sindelar#Death and myth) 1939 George Smith 28 English defender/striker heart attack 1908 Nicol Smith 32 Scottish defender enteric fever 1905 John Soko 23 Zambian defender Gabon air disaster 1993 James Speedie Scottish died in action, World War I 1915 Adam Stansfield 31 English striker bowel cancer 2010 François Sterchele 26 Belgian striker car accident 2008 Nick Stienstra 33 Dutch-Suriname Surinam air disaster 1989 Anatoli Sylka 30 Russian defender heart attack 2009 Sándor Szűcs 30 Hungarian defender execution by the communist regime for defection attempt 1951 Giuliano Taccola 24 Italian striker heart attack 1969 Tommy Taylor 26 English striker Munich air disaster 1958 Otilino Tenorio 25 Ecuadorian striker car accident 2005 Donald Thobega 29 Botswanan midfielder car accident 2009 Alfredo Tomassini 23 Peruvian midfielder drowned 1987 David Di Tommaso 26 French midfielder heart attack 2005 Mickey Trotman 26 Trinidad and Tobagan midfielder car accident 2001 Nikolai Trusevich Soviet goalkeeper execution by German soldiers during World War II (see The Death Match) 1943 Raimundo Tupper 26 Chilean defender suicide 1995 Petea Vâlcov 32 Romanian striker killed on the Eastern Front 1943 Ferry van Vliet 20 Dutch midfielder car accident 2001 Edy Vasquez 23 Honduran midfielder car accident 2007 Elfried Veldman 23 Dutch-Suriname midfielder Surinam air disaster 1989 Florian Vijent 27 Dutch-Suriname goalkeeper Surinam air disaster 1989 Karl Wallmüller 30 Austrian midfielder military action during World War II 1944 Wang Donglei 23 Chinese midfielder car accident 2008 Robert Watiyakeni 24 Zambian defender Gabon air disaster 1993 Harry Wattie Scottish Battle of the Somme 1916 Walter Werginz 31 Austrian forward military action during World War II 1944 Liam Whelan 22 Irish striker Munich air disaster 1958 John White 27 Scottish midfielder hit by lightning 1964 Dave Wiggett 20 English defender car accident 1978 Frank Wilson 22 English centre forward "maniacal exhaustion caused by football and excitement"[14] Whayne Wilson 29 Costa Rican striker car accident 2005 Zhang Yalin 28 Chinese midfielder lymphoma 2010 Mikhail Yeremin 23 Soviet goalkeeper car accident 1991 Gábor Zavadszky 31 Hungarian midfielder embolism 2006 Hicham Zerouali 27 Moroccan striker car accident 2004 Athletics
Athlete Age Nationality Cause of death Year Abebe Bikila 41 Ethiopian long distance runner and two-time Olympic gold medalist complications from spinal cord injury suffered in a car accident 1973 Lillian Board 22 British 400m sprinter, middle distance runner and Olympic silver medallist cancer 1970 Richard Chelimo 29 Kenyan long distance runner and Olympic silver medalist brain tumour 2001 Maria Cioncan 29 Romanian middle distance runner car accident 2007 Ivo Van Damme 22 Belgian middle distance runner and two-time Olympic silver medalist car accident 1976 Foy Draper 31 American sprinter military actions during World War II (Battle of Kasserine Pass) 1943 James Duffy 24 Irish marathon runner KIA during Second Battle of Ypres 1915 Pål Arne Fagernes 29 Norwegian javelin thrower car accident 2003 Piotr Gładki 33 Polish long distance runner car accident 2005 Nils Uhlin Hansen 25 Norwegian long jumper killed as a resistance fighter during World War II 1945 Rudolf Harbig 30 German middle distance runner military actions during World War II 1944 René Herms 26 German middle distance runner myocarditis caused by a viral infection 2009 Kinue Hitomi 24 Japanese sprinter and jumper and Olympic silver medallist tuberculosis 1931 Owe Jonsson 21 Swedish sprinter and European gold medalist car accident 1962 Yutaka Kanai 30 Japanese long distance runner car accident 1990 Władysław Komar 58 Polish shot putter car accident 1998 Janusz Kusociński 33 Polish long distance runner and Olympic gold medalist executed by the Gestapo in 1940 during Nazi Germany's occupation of Poland. 1940 Francisco Lázaro 21 Portuguese marathon runner dehydration due to high temperature 1912 Wilhelm Leichum 30 German jumper and sprinter military actions during World War II 1941 Luz Long 30 German jumper and Olympic silver medalist who is most famous for befriending Jesse Owens during the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin military actions during World War II 1943 Bronisław Malinowski 30 Olympic champion 3000m steeplechaser car accident 1981 Sally Meyerhoff[15] 27 American long distance runner bicycle accident 2011[16] Wesly Ngetich 30 Kenyan long distance runner murdered in the Kenyan political crisis' riots 2008 Sueo Ōe 27 Japanese pole vaulter military actions during World War II[17] 1941 Steve Prefontaine 24 American long distance runner car accident 1975 Bob Roggy 30 American javelin thrower car accident 1986 Ryan Shay 28 American long distance runner collapsed during the 2007 US Olympic Marathon Trials 2007 Kamila Skolimowska 26 Polish hammer thrower pulmonary embolism 2009 Tadeusz Ślusarski 48 Polish pole vaulter car accident 1998 Ian Syster 28 African long distance runner drowned in car accident, died a few months after the 2004 Olympics[18] 2004 Tomoyuki Taniguchi 29 Japanese long distance runner car accident 1990 Kokichi Tsuburaya 27 Japanese long distance runner suicide 1968 Samuel Wanjiru 24 Kenyan long distance runner accident, possible suicide 2011 Geoff Watt Australian long distance runner. First to run up and down Mount Kilimanjaro. Died of exposure in snow. 1969 Hans Woellke 32 German shot putter military actions during World War II.[19] 1943 Australian rules football
Player Age Team Position Cause of death Year Dave Barry 24 North Fremantle half-forward run over by a train 1913 Troy Broadbridge 24 Melbourne defender drowned in the 2004 Asian Tsunami 2004 Norm Collins 29 Hawthorn utility found hanged in his garage 1933 Peter Crimmins 28 Hawthorn rover testicular cancer 1976 Ron Doig 23 South Fremantle captain-coach on-field injury 1932 Lyle Downs 24 Carlton rover heart attack 1921 Eddie Ford 28 Richmond on-field collision 1946 Arthur Fox 29 South Melbourne wingman motorcycle accident 1953 Ray Gibb 24 Richmond utility motorcycle accident 1953 Brian Gilmore 25–26 Footscray follower car accident 1959 Wayne Gordon 28–29 Melbourne wingman cancer 1983 Ron James 19 Footscray rover waterskiing 1990 Doug Magor 21 Footscray car accident 1969 Darren Millane 26 Collingwood wingman car accident 1991 Richard Nixon 26–27 Richmond utility car accident 1992 Terry Ogden 23 Carlton wingman pleurisy 1935 Fred Phillips 27–28 Hawthorn captain-coach blood poisoning 1933 Bruce Reid 19–20 South Melbourne half-back car accident 1970 Maurie Sankey 25 Carlton ruckman car accident 1965 Phil Skehan 26 South Melbourne follower on-field collision 1921 Jim Stewart 24 North Melbourne appendicitis 1942 Doug Tassell 24 Essendon defender car accident 1970 Peter White 26 Carlton drowning 1996 Les Witto 23 Carlton defender tetanus 1926 Baseball
Major League Baseball
Players/umpires with an asterisk (*) are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Minor-league players are listed with their major-league affiliations.
Negro League Baseball
Player Age Position Team Cause of death Year Josh Gibson* 35 C Homestead Grays brain tumor and stroke 1947 Pythias Russ 26 C Chicago American Giants tuberculosis 1930 Chino Smith 28 OF Lincoln Giants yellow fever 1932 Basketball
International (men)
- Miska Alanko, Pussihukat, car accident (1997)
- Ángel Almeida, 25, Clube Portugal Telecom, heart attack (1997)[24]
- Davide Ancilotto, 23, Virtus Roma, brain hemorrhage (1997)[25]
- Paolo Barlera, 27, Virtus Bologna, leukemia (2009)[26]
- Alexander Belov, 26, Spartak Leningrad, cardiac sarcoma (1978)
- Jonathan Bourhis, 19, JDA Dijon, car accident (2009)[27]
- Haris Brkić, 26, KK Partizan, homicide (shot) (2000)
- Lavelle Felton, 29, Paderborn Baskets, homicide (shot) (2009)[28]
- Scott Fenton, 24, Perth Wildcats, car accident (1989)
- Joan Filbá, 26, OAR Ferrol, car accident (1981)[29]
- Alphonso Ford, 32, Scavolini Spar Pesaro, Euroleague, leukemia (2004)
- Valery Goborov, 24, CSKA Moscow, car accident (1989)
- Chauncey Hardy, 23, CSS Giurgiu, heart attack following beating (2011)
- Zoltán Horváth, 30, Falco KC Szombathely, car accident (2009)[30]
- Kenyon Jones, 27, Maroussi BC, heart attack (2005)[31]
- Yadgar Karimov, 20, UNICS Kazan, heart attack (2001)[32]
- Radivoj Korać, 30, Boario Padova, car accident (1969)
- Kari "Kanni" Kulonen, FoKoPo, UU, car accident (1990)
- Tapani Manninen, Pussihukat, car accident (1996)
- Fernando Martín, 27, Real Madrid, car accident (1989)
- Aidin Nikkhah Bahrami, 25, Saba Battery Tehran BC, car accident (2007)
- Alexander Petrenko, 30, Khimki BC, car accident (2006)
- Paulo Pinto, 27, Aveiro Basket, cardiac arrest (2002)[33]
- Trajko Rajković, 32, OKK Beograd (1970)
- Enrico Ravaglia, 23, Pallacanestro Cantù, car accident (1999)[34]
- Gabriel Riofrío, 23, Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca, heart attack (2001)[35]
- Chris Sandy, 28, Kouvot, car accident (2006)
- Marvin Stone, 26, Al-Ittihad (Jeddah), heart attack (2008)
- Robert Traylor, 34, Vaqueros de Bayamón (2011)
- Gregory Vallenilla, 27, Marinos de Oriente, car accident (2007)[36]
- Heino Veskila, 22, World War II (1941)[37]
- Kevin Widemond, 23, Ovarense, heart attack (2009)
International (women)
- Olga Yakovleva, 24, Chevakata Vologda, drowning (2010)[38]
USA
NBA
- Ricky Berry, 24, Sacramento Kings, suicide (1989)
- Len Bias, 22, Boston Celtics (drafted but never played in the NBA), cocaine overdose (1986)
- Jason Collier, 28, Atlanta Hawks, cardiac arrest (2005)
- Terry Furlow, 25, Utah Jazz, car accident (1980)
- Eddie Griffin, 25, Minnesota Timberwolves, car accident (2007)
- Wendell Ladner, 26, New York Nets (prior to ABA-NBA merger), plane crash (1975)
- Reggie Lewis, 27, Boston Celtics, heart failure, (1993)
- Conrad McRae, 29, Orlando Magic (summer league), unknown but most likely heart failure (2000)
- Dražen Petrović, 28, New Jersey Nets, car accident (1993)
- Bobby Phills, 30, Charlotte Hornets, car accident (2000)
- Malik Sealy, 30, Minnesota Timberwolves, car accident (2000)
- Nick Vanos, 24, Phoenix Suns, plane crash (1987)
- Lorenzen Wright, 34, Free Agent, homicide (shot) (2010)
NCAA (men)
- Tony Penny, 21 , Central Connecticut Blue Devils, heart attack (1989)
- De'Andre Adams, 20, Winthrop Eagles, car crash (2007)
- Warren Alston, 18, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- Jerode Banks, 20, Baylor Bears men's basketball, car crash (1994)
- Kevin Brophy, 21, Georgia Bulldogs, car crash (2006)
- Arturo Brown, 21, Boston University Terriers, heart attack (1982)
- Ray Comandella, 18, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- Chris Daniels, 22, Dayton Flyers, cardiac arrest (1996)
- Patrick Dennehy, 21, Baylor Bears, homicide (see Baylor University basketball scandal) (2003)
- Mike Duff, 18, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- Wayne Estes, 21, Utah State Aggies, accidental electrocution (1965)
- Nate Fleming, 20, Oklahoma State Cowboys, plane crash (2001)
- Ryan Francis, 19, USC Trojans, homicide (2006)
- Hank Gathers, 23, Loyola Marymount Lions, cardiac arrest during a game (1990)
- Kraig Heckerdorn, 19, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- Mike Joyner, 19, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- Kevin Kingston, 21, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- Dan Lawson, 21, Oklahoma State Cowboys, plane crash (2001)
- Barney Lewis, 18, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- Jeron Lewis, 21, University of Southern Indiana Screamin' Eagles, enlarged heart (2010)
- Steve Miller, 20, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- Keith Moon, 20, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- Jeff Muriel, 19, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders, car crash (2005)[39]
- Tobi Oyedeji, 18, Texas A&M University, car accident (2010)
- Danny Rumph, 21, Western Kentucky University, heart attack (2005)
- Mark Siegel, 19, Evansville Purple Aces plane crash (1977)
- Greg Smith, 18, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- Chris Street, 20, Iowa Hawkeyes, car accident (1993)
- Bryan Taylor, 20, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- John Ed Washington, 21, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
- Tony Winburn, 22, Evansville Purple Aces, plane crash (1977)
NAIA (men)
- Brandon Oldenkamp, 21, Dordt College, climbing accident on Grand Teton (2010)[40]
WNBA
- Kim Perrot, 32, Houston Comets, cancer (1999)
NCAA (women)
- Maggie Dixon, 28, Army, coach, heart arrhythmia (2006)
- Alisa Lewis, 20, University of California, bacterial meningitis (2004)[41]
- Shawntinice Polk, 22, University of Arizona, pulmonary embolism (2005)
- Tina Stewart[42], 21, Middle Tennessee State University, stabbing (2011)[43]
- Shannon Washington[44], 20, Florida A&M, stabbing (2011)[45]
Bobsleigh
- Reto Capadrutt, 26, Swiss bobsledder, crashed during the four-man event of the 1939 FIBT World Championships
- Yvonne Cernota, 24, German bobsled driver, crashed during practice run (2004)
- Felix Endrich, 31, Swiss bobsled driver, crashed during 1953 FIBT World Championships
- Max Houben, 50, Belgian bobsledder, crashed during practice run prior to the 1949 FIBT World Championships
- James Morgan, 32, American bobsled driver, crashed during the 1981 FIBT World Championships at Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy[46]
- Anton Pensperger, German bobsled driver, race crash during 1966 FIBT World Championships
- Sergio Zardini, 34, Italian bobsled driver, slid into retaining wall during a competition in 1966.
Bodybuilding
- Mohammed Benaziza, 31, heart attack (1992)[47]
- Andreas Münzer, 31, liver and kidney failure (1996)[48]
- Brian Taylor, 38, heart attack (1980)
Boxing
Deaths in the ring
Name Nationality Death Year Championship Class Opponent Source Pedro Alcázar Panamanian 2002 WBO super flyweight Fernando Montiel Simon Byrne Ireland 1833 heavyweight James Burke Frankie Campbell American 1930 Heavyweight Max Baer Yo-Sam Choi Korean 2008 Light-flyweight Heri Amol Leavander Johnson American 2005 IBF lightweight Jesús Chávez Duk Koo Kim Korean 1982 lightweight Ray Mancini Alexander McKay Scottish 1830 heavyweight Simon Byrne Davey Moore American 1963 featherweight Sugar Ramos James Murray British 1995 bantamweight Drew Docherty Johnny Owen British 1980 bantamweight Lupe Pintor Kevin Payne American 2006 welterweight Ryan Maraldo Benny Paret Cuban 1962 welterweight Emile Griffith Tosh Powell British 1928 bantamweight Billy Housego Martín Sánchez Mexican 2005 super featherweight Rustam Nugaev Ed Sanders American 1954 heavyweight Willie James Angelito Sisnorio Filipino 2007 lightweight Chatchai Sasakul Robert Wangila Kenyan 1994 welterweight David Gonzales Deaths outside the ring
- Oscar "Ringo" Bonavena, 33, Argentine heavyweight, homicide (1976)
- Roberto Balado, 25, Cuban world super heavyweight champion in amateur boxing, died in a crash at a train crossing (1994)
- Marcel Cerdan, 33, French middleweight champion, killed in plane crash (1949)
- Billy Collins, 22, car accident (1984)
- Diego Corrales, 29, American super featherweight and lightweight champion, motorcycle accident (2007)
- Carlos Cruz, 32, Dominican lightweight champion, killed in plane crash (1970)
- Tiger Flowers, 32, American world middleweight champion, complications from surgery (1927)
- Vernon Forrest, 38, welterweight and light welterweight, homicide (2009)
- Arturo Gatti, 37, Canadian world super featherweight champion, cause of death disputed (2009)
- Harry Greb, 32, American world middleweight champion, complications from surgery (1926)
- Stanley Ketchel, 24, American world middleweight champion, homicide (1910)
- Julian Letterlough, 35, American light heavyweight, homicide (2005)
- Sonny Liston, 38, American world heavyweight champion, cause of death disputed (1970)
- Michael Murach, 30, German welterweight Olympic champion, military actions during World War II (1941)[49]
- Giselle Salandy, 21, Trinidadian boxer, car accident (2009)
- Agapito Sánchez, 35, Dominican World super bantamweight champion, homicide (2005)
- Salvador Sánchez, 23, Mexican world featherweight champion, car accident (1982)
- Mzukisi Sikali, 34, South African flyweight, homicide (2005)
- Edwin Valero, 28, Venezuelan lightweight champion, suicide by hanging (2010)
- Pancho Villa, 23, Filipino world flyweight champion, Ludwig's angina (1925)
Canadian Football League
- Norm Casola, 29, Toronto Argonauts, Running Back/Receiver, cancer (1998)[50]
- Travis Claridge, 27, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Offensive Guard, acute pneumonia (2006)
- Cal Jones, 23, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, offensive guard, plane crash (1956)†
- Tom Pate, 23, Hamilton Tiger-Cats, linebacker, brain aneurysm (in-game) (1975)
- Gordon Sturtridge, 27, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Defensive End, plane crash (1956)†
- Mel Becket, 27, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Tight End, plane crash (1956)†
- Ray Syrnyk, 22, Saskatchewan Roughriders, Offensive Tackle, plane crash (1956)†
- Mario DeMarco, 32, Saskatchewan Roughriders, offensive guard, plane crash (1956)†
† These five players were lost in the same plane crash.
Canoeing
- György Kolonics, 36, Hungarian sprint canoer, heart attack during practice (2008)
- Rich Weiss, 33, American slalom canoer, drowned in accident (1997)
Cricket
- Abdul Aziz, 17, Pakistani cricketer, hit over heart by ball during a game (1959)
- Tamim Bashir, 19, Khulna Division, malaria (2004)
- Charlie Bull, 30, Worcestershire, car accident (1939)
- Jock Cameron, 30, South Africa, typhoid fever (1935)
- Cyril Christiani, 24, West Indies, malaria (1938)
- Stanley de Silva, 23, Sri Lanka, motorcycle accident (1980)
- Ron Doig, 23, Western Australia, as a result of injuries sustained while playing Football (1932)
- John Dunn, Hong Kong, 30, drowned with the SS Bokhara (1892)
- Ken Farnes, 30, England, flying accident on active service with the Royal Air Force (1941)
- Ian Folley, 30, English cricketer, heart attack after being hit in the face by a ball during a game (1993)
- Fred Grace, 29, English cricketer, pneumonia (1880)
- Sajjadul Hasan, 28, Bangladesh, motorcycle accident (2007)
- Ben Hollioake, 24, England, car accident (2002)
- Archie Jackson, 23, Australia, tuberculosis (1933)
- Graham Kersey, 25, Surrey, car accident (1997)
- Raman Lamba, 38, India, died of internal hemorrhage suffered after being hit by a ball during a game (1998)
- Trevor Madondo, 24, Zimbabwe, malaria (2001)
- Tufty Mann, 31, South Africa, cancer (1952)
- Scott Mason, 28, Tasmania, heart attack while training (2005)
- Maurice Nichol, 29, Worcestershire, unknown (1934)
- Dallas Page, 25, Gloucestershire car accident (1936)
- Dudley Pope, 27, Essex, car accident (1934)
- Rahatullah, 18, Peshawar, homicide (2008)
- Manjural Islam Rana, 22, Bangladesh, motorcycle accident (2007)
- Umer Rashid, 26, Sussex, drowned in Grenada (2002)
- Sadashiv Shinde, 31, India, typhoid (1955)
- Wilf Slack, 34, England, collapsed and died while playing cricket in Gambia (1989)
- Collie Smith, 26, West Indies, car accident (1959)
- Claude Tozer, 30, New South Wales, homicide (1920)
- Haseeb-ul-Hasan, 25, Karachi, homicide (1990)
- Maurits van Nierop, 25, Netherlands, accidental fall (2008)
- Ken Wadsworth, 29, New Zealand, skin cancer (1976)
- Hansie Cronje, 32, South Africa, Plane Crash (2002)
- Cliff Burton 47 English cricketer (CLL) died suddenly of a heart attack on the field (May 1978)
Curling
- Solène Coulot, 20, French curler, suicide (2010)
- Marj Mitchell, 35, Canadian curler, cancer (1983)
- Scott Patterson, 34, Canadian curler, car crash (2004)
- Sandra Schmirler, 36, Canadian curler, oesophageal cancer (2000)
Cycling
Does not include those who died in wheeled sports such as cycling accident, as there is a separate list for such, please refer to List of professional cyclists who died during a race. All are road cyclists unless stated.
Cyclo-Cross
MTB
- Jure Robic, 45, Slovenian MTB and road cyclist, car crash (2010)
Road Cycling
- Franco Ballerini, 46, Italian, car accident (2010)
- Beryl Burton, 58, British, heart failure (1996)
- Fausto Coppi, 40, Italian, malaria (1960)
- François Faber, 28, French, KIA during World War I (1915)
- Joachim Halupczok, 26, Polish world champion in amateur cycling, heart failure (1994)
- Carly Hibberd, 26, Australian , hit by a car while training (2011)[51]
- Jose-Maria Jimenez, 32, Spanish, suicide (2003)
- Octave Lapize, 29, French, KIA during World War I (1917)
- Andreas Matzbacher, 25, Austrian, car crash (2008)
- Bert Oosterbosch, 32, Dutch, heart failure (1989)
- Carlo Oriani, 29, Italian, pneumonia (1917)
- Marco Pantani, 34, Italian, drugs overdose (2004)
- René Pottier, 27, French, suicide (1907)
- Dave Rayner, 27, British, a fund is his name has been set up to support British road racing cyclists. (1994)
- Lucien Storme, 28, Belgian, accidentally shot by American servicemen during World War II (1945)
- Carla Swart, 23, South African, hit by a truck while training (2011)[52]
- Xavier Tondó, 32, Spanish, accident with a garage door while preparing for training (2011)[53]
Track Cycling
- Yulia Arustamova, 24, Russian, suicide (2007)
- Amy Gillett, 29, Australian, hit by a car while training (2005)[54]
- Albert Richter, 27, German track cyclist, execution by the Gestapo (1940)
- Lucien Mazan, 35, French-Argentine track and road cyclist, road accident whilst in military action during World War I (1917)
Diving
- Gavin Brown, 22, British diver, hit-and-run (2007)
- Sergei Chalibashvili, 21, professional diver, accident during the World University Games (1983)
- Loïc Leferme, 36, French free-diver, drowned (2007)
- Audrey Mestre, 28, French free-diver, drowned (2002)
Fencing
- Vladimir Smirnov, 28, Olympic champion fencer, accident during a match (1982)
Figure skating
- Tony Austin, British, KIA in World War II
- Jean-Pierre Brunet, 19, American, car accident (1946)
- Walter Gregory, British, KIA in World War II
- Sergei Grinkov, 28, Russian, heart attack during practice for Stars on Ice tour (1995)
- Morgan Innes, 14, Australian, boating accident (2007)
- Rob McCall, 33, Canadian, brain cancer (1991)
- Freddie Tomlins, 23, British, KIA in World War II (1943)
- The following Americans all died in the 1961 crash of Sabena Flight 548:
- Roger Campbell, 19
- Dona Lee Carrier, 20
- Patricia Dineen, 24–25
- Robert Dineen, 23
- Ila Ray Hadley, 18
- Ray Hadley, Jr., 17
- Laurie Hickox, 15
- William Hickox, 19
- Gregory Kelley, 16–17
- Bradley Lord, 23
- Rhode Lee Michelson, 17
- Laurence Owen, 16
- Maribel Owen, 20
- Larry Pierce, 23–24
- Douglas Ramsay, 15–16
- Dudley Richards, 29
- Diane Sherbloom, 18
- Stephanie Westerfeld, 17
Golf
- Seve Ballesteros, 54, brain cancer (2011)
- Erica Blasberg, 25, LPGA golfer, suicide by asphyxia (2010)
- Heather Farr, 28, LPGA golfer, breast cancer (1993)
- Tony Lema, 32, The Open champion, plane crash (1966)
- Young Tom Morris, 24, The Open champion, heart attack (1875)
- Payne Stewart, 42, PGA and U.S. Open champion, plane crash (1999)
- Bert Yancey, 56, seven-time winner on the PGA Tour, suffered a fatal heart attack while competing in a Champions Tour event (1994)
- Babe Zaharias, 45, LPGA golfer, colon cancer (1956)
Gymnastics
- Alexander Beresch, 26, car accident (2004)
- Joaquín Blume, 25, Spanish gymnast, plane crash (1959)
- Julissa Gomez, 18, injuries due to a vaulting accident (1991)
- Christy Henrich, 22, anorexia (1994)
- Oxana Kostina, 20, car accident (1993)
- Natalia Lavrova, 25, car accident (2010)
- Yuri Ryazanov, 22, Russian gymnast, car crash[55] (2009)
Handball
- Marian Cozma, 26, Romanian handball player, homicide (stabbed to death) (2009)
- Georg Dascher, 33, German handball player, military actions during World War II (1944)[56]
- Sebastian Faißt, 20, German handball player, heart failure (2009)
- Arthur Knautz, 32, German field handball player, KIA during World War II (1943)[57]
- Heinz Körvers, 27, German field handball player, KIA during World War II (1942)[58]
- Oleg Velyky, 32, Ukrainian-born German handball player, skin cancer (2010)
Horse racing
Does not include those who died in riding accident such as equestrian or horse racing, as there is a separate list for such, please refer to List of horse accidents.
- Chris Antley, 34, American jockey, drug overdose (2000)
- Fred Archer, 29, English jockey, suicide (1886)
- Silvio Coucci, 27, American jockey, suicide (1942)
- Ron Hansen, 33, American jockey, car accident (1994)
- Frank Hayes, 34–35, American jockey, died from a heart attack while riding his horse Sweet Kiss to victory at Belmont Park (1923)
- Don MacBeth, 37, Canadian jockey, cancer (1987)
- Jamie Kyne, 18, Irish jockey, arson (2009)
- Jan Wilson, 19, Scottish jockey, arson (2009)
- Kim Hyung-chil, 47, Korean jockey, died in Dec 2006 while attending the equestrian race in 2006 Asian Games (2006)
- Stathi Katsidis, 31, Australian jockey, cause of death unknown (2010)
- Arron Kennedy, 34, Australian jockey, cause of death, suicide (St Patrick's Day 2007)
Ice hockey
- Vitali Anikienko, 24, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Don Ashby, 26, NHL, car accident (1981)
- Mikhail Balandin, 31, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Bill Barilko, 24, NHL, plane crash (1951)
- Jeff Batters, 25, NHL, car accident (1996)
- Derek Boogaard, 28, NHL, multiple drug intoxication (2011)
- Luc Bourdon, 21, NHL, motorcycle accident (2008)
- Michel Briere, 21, NHL, car accident (1971)
- Martin Cech, 31, Czech Extraliga, car accident (2007)
- Alexei Cherepanov, 19, KHL, heart condition (2008)
- Steve Chiasson, 32, NHL, car accident/drunk driving (1999)
- Gennady Churilov, 24, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Luděk Čajka, 26, Czech Extraliga, spinal injury (in-game) (1990)
- Jonathan Delisle, 28, NHL, car accident (2006)
- Pavol Demitra, 36, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Robert Dietrich, 25, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Yanick Dupré, 24, NHL, leukemia (1997)
- Alexander Galimov, 26, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Bob Gassoff, 24, NHL, alcohol-related motorcycle accident (1977)
- Joe Hall, NHL, 36, pneumonia related to influenza (1919)
- Roland Hedberg, 62, Swedish linesman, puck shot (in-game) (2010)
- Tim Horton, 44, NHL, car accident (1974)
- Marat Kalimulin, 23, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Alexander Kalyanin, 23, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Peter Karlsson, 29, Swedish hockey player, homicide (1995)
- Valeri Kharlamov, 33, Soviet hockey player, car accident (1981)
- Andrei Kiryukhin, 24, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Nikita Klyukin, 21, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- John Kordic, 27, NHL, cocaine overdose (1992)
- Pelle Lindbergh, 26, NHL, car accident (1985)
- Stefan Liv, 30, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Roman Lyashenko, 24, NHL, suicide (2003)
- Jan Marek, 31, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Bill Masterton, 29, NHL, brain hemorrhage (in-game) (1968)
- Howie Morenz, 34, NHL, blood clot from broken leg (1937)
- Stéphane Morin, 29, hockey, heart attack (1998)
- Robert Müller, 28, hockey, cancer (2009)
- Sergei Ostapchuk, 21, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Karel Rachunek, 32, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Mickey Renaud, 19, OHL, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (2008)
- Darcy Robinson, 26, Serie A, heart failure (2007)
- Rick Rypien, 27, NHL, undisclosed causes (2011)
- Ruslan Salei, 36, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Terry Sawchuk, 40, NHL, heart failure from blood clot (1970)
- Maxim Shuvalov, 18, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Babe Siebert, 35, NHL, drowning accident (1939)
- Karlis Skrastins, 37, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Pavel Snurnitsyn, 19, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Dan Snyder, 25, NHL, complications of a car accident (2003)
- Daniil Sobchenko, 20, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Dmitri Tertyshny, 22, NHL, boating accident (1999)
- Ivan Tkachenko, 31, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Pavel Trakhanov, 33, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Yuri Urychev, 20, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Josef Vasicek, 30, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Alexander Vasyunov, 23, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Georges Vézina, 39, NHL, advanced tuberculosis (1926)
- Alexander Vyukhin, 38, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Artem Yarchuk, 21, KHL, plane crash (2011)†
- Sergei Zholtok, 31, NHL, heart failure (2004)
†These 26 players were lost in the same plane crash
Luge
- Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypeski, 50, England, accident (1964)
- Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, Georgia, practice crash (2010)
Martial arts
- Gilbert Aldana, 29, USA, MMA fighter, drowning (2007)
- André Brilleman, 25, Netherlands, kickboxer, gang related murder (2010)
- Ross Clifton, 32, USA, MMA fighter, heart attack (2009)
- Douglas Dedge, 31, USA, MMA fighter, brain injury (in-fight) (1998)
- Justin Eilers, 30, USA, MMA fighter, homicide (2008)
- Ryan Gracie, 33, Brazil, MMA fighter, drug overdose (2007)
- Andy Hug, 35, Switzerland, karateka and kickboxer, myeloid leukemia (2000)
- Justin Levens, 28, USA, MMA fighter, suicide (2008)
- Evan Tanner, 37, USA, MMA fighter, hyperthermia (2008)
- Sam Vasquez, 34–35, USA, MMA fighter, brain injury (in-fight) (2007)
- Shelby Walker, 31, USA, MMA fighter, prescription pill overdose (2006)
- Jeremy Williams, 27, USA, MMA fighter, suicide (2007)
- Sergio Salcido, 25, USA, MMA fighter, homicide (2011)
- Michael Kirkham, 30, USA, MMA fighter, brain injury (in-fight) 2010
Motorsport
Auto racing
Does not include race car drivers who died in race or practice crashes. Those names go in a separate article. Please refer to List of racing drivers who died in racing crashes.
- Johnny Aitken, 33, Indycar driver, Spanish Flu (1918)
- Davey Allison, 32, NASCAR driver, helicopter crash at Talledega Superspeedway (1993)
- Christian Bakkerud, 26, BF3, GP2, DTM driver, road accident near Wimbledon Common (2011)
- Edgar Barth, 48, Formula One and sportscar racing driver, cancer (1965)[59]
- Norman Batten, 35, Indycar driver, shipwreck of the SS Vestris (along with fellow driver Earl Devore) (1928)
- Walter Bäumer, 32, Grand Prix driver, freak road accident (1941)[60]
- René Le Bègue, 32, Grand Prix driver, asphyxiation by gas fumes of his bathroom boiler (1946)[61]
- Derek Bennett, 44, Formula 3 driver, owner & designer of Chevron Cars, hang gliding accident (1978)
- Herbert Berg, Grand Prix driver, concussion following a fall in the street (1938)[60]
- Ulrich Bigalke, Grand Prix driver, KIA at Battle of Britain (1940)[60]
- Tim Birkin, 36, Grand Prix driver and member of the Bentley Boys, illness (cause of death varies from source to source) (1933)[60]
- Georges Boillot, 31, Grand Prix driver, military action during World War I (1916)
- Possum Bourne, 47, Champion rally car driver, car accident (2003)
- Charlie Bradberry, 24, NASCAR driver, car accident (2006)
- Tony Brise, 23, Formula One driver, plane crash (1975)
- Ernst Burggaller, 43, Grand Prix driver, KIA at Battle of Britain (1940)[60]
- Richard Burns, 34, World Rally Champion in 2001, brain tumour (2005)
- Shaun Carlson, 35, drag racer, Brugada Syndrome (2009)[62]
- Jimmy Caruthers, 30, Indycar / Silver Crown driver, cancer (1975)
- Spencer Clark, 19, NASCAR driver, car accident (2006)
- Earl Devore, 39–40, Indycar driver, shipwreck of the SS Vestris (1928)
- Ralph Earnhardt, 45, NASCAR driver, heart attack (1973)
- AFP Fane, Grand Prix driver, aviation accident (1942)
- Luis Fontés, Grand Prix driver, aviation accident (1940)
- Elmer George, 47, (father of Indy Racing League founder Tony George), Indycar / Sprint car driver, murder (1976)
- Peter Gregg, 40, sportscar racer, suicide (1980)
- William Grover-Williams, 42, Grand prix driver, Killed during The Holocaust as a spy for the Special Operations Executive (1945)
- Bobby Hamilton, 49, NASCAR driver, cancer (2007)
- Benny Parsons, 65, NASCAR driver, cancer (2007)
- Rudolf Hasse, 36, Grand Prix driver, illness during military service during the Eastern Front (1942)[63]
- Mike Hawthorn, 29, Formula 1 World Champion, road accident (1959)
- Ricky Hendrick, 24, owner affiliated to Hendrick Motorsports owned by his father Rick Hendrick, plane crash (2004)
- Bogdan Herink, 46, Polish rally driver, heart failure (1998)
- Graham Hill, 46, team boss of Embassy Racing and two-time Formula One World Champion as a driver in 1962 and 1968, plane crash (1975)
- Jesse Hockett, 26, American sprint car driver, electrocution (2010)
- Al Hofmann, 60, NHRA Funny Car driver, massive heart attack (2008)
- Al Holbert, 41, IMSA champion, plane crash (1988)
- Denny Hulme, 56, Formula 1 World Champion / sports car driver, heart attack while competing in the 1992 Bathurst 1000.
- Bobby Isaac, 45, NASCAR driver and 1970 Cup champion, heart attack while competing at Hickory Motor Speedway (1977)
- Camille Jenatzy, 44–45, Belgian racing driver, shot while impersonating a wild boar (1913)
- Andy Kirby, 40, NASCAR driver, motorcycle accident (2002)
- Erwin Kremer, 67, founder/owner of Kremer Racing, stroke (2006)
- Janusz Kulig, 35, Polish rally driver, died in an accident after his car collided with a train on a level crossing (2004)
- Alan Kulwicki, 38, NASCAR driver and 1992 Cup champion, plane crash in Tennessee (1993)
- Atsushi Kuroi, 40, D1GP driver, motorcycle accident (2010)
- Elmo Langley, 68, NASCAR pace car driver, heart attack during an evaluation run at a NASCAR exhibition race in Suzuka Circuit (1996)
- Clarence Lovell, 26, NASCAR driver, car accident (1973)[64]
- Percy MacLure, Grand Prix driver, military actions during World War II
- Willy Mairesse, 40, Belgian sportscar racer, suicide (1969)
- Gerry Marshall, 63, British racing driver, heart attack while test driving Richard Petty's IROC Camaro (2005)
- Colin McRae, 39, British rally driver, helicopter accident (2007)
- Harry Melling, 53–54, owner of Melling Racing, heart attack (1999)
- Dick Meyer, age unknown, NASCAR driver, crashed during illegal street race (1954)[65]
- Jimmy Miller, 20, Sprint car driver, killed in combat in Vietnam (1967)[66]
- Rob Moroso, 22, NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 1990, car accident
- Mike Mosley, 37, Indycar driver, car accident (1984)
- Gary Niece, 36, NASCAR driver, heart attack while competing in NASCAR Busch Series race (1991)
- Gunnar Nilsson, 29, Formula One driver, cancer (1978)
- Carlos Pace, 32, Formula One driver, plane crash (1977)
- Harvey Postlethwaite, 55, F1 engineer and Technical Director, heart attack while supervising a testing session for Honda (1999)
- Tim Richmond, 34, NASCAR driver, AIDS (1989)
- Dean Roper, 62, ARCA stock racer, heart attack while competing (2001)
- Thierry Sabine, 36, founder and main organizer of Paris Dakar, helicopter crash (1986)
- Bruce Sarver, 43, NHRA driver, Self inflicted gun shot (2005)
- Carl Scarborough, 38, Indycar driver, heat exhaustion during the 1953 Indianapolis 500
- Josef Schnitzer, 39, founder of Schnitzer Motorsport, road accident (1978)
- Richard Shuttleworth, 31, Grand Prix driver, aviation accident (1940)
- Chris Staniland, Grand Prix driver, aviation accident (1939)
- Ryoji Takada, D1GP driver, truck loading accident (2005)
- Joel Thorne, 41, Indycar driver / industrialist, plane crash (1955)
- Lars-Erik Torph, 28, Swedish rally driver, died in a non-competitive accident during the Monte Carlo Rally (1989)
- Chris Trickle, 24, NASCAR driver, drive-by shooting (1998)
- Curtis Turner, 46, NASCAR driver, plane crash (1970)
- Fermin Vélez, 43, sports car driver, cancer (2003)
- Johnny Wakefield, 27, Grand Prix driver, aviation accident (1942)
- Andreas Waldherr, 43, Austrian rally driver, crushed by a car in the workshop (2011)
- Nick Whiting, British racing driver, murder (1990)
- Carl Williams, 42, Indycar driver, motorcycle accident (1973)[67]
- Bob Wollek, 57, sportscar driver, cycling accident (2001)
- Christian Elder, 38, NASCAR driver, accidental methadone overdose (2007)
Motorboat racing
Main article: List of fatal accidents in motorboat racing- Donald Aronow, 59, boat builder, murdered (1987)
- Mike Thomas, hydroplane driver, construction accident (1967)[68]
- Dwight Bale, drag boat driver, drowned whilst riding in a rubber raft through a rapid (1973)[69]
- Bernard Marszałek, 31, Polish driver powerboat, asthma attack (2007)
Motorcycle sport
Does not include motorcycle riders who died in race or practice crashes. Those names go in a separate article. Please refer to List of deaths by motorcycle accidents.
- Norifumi Abe, 32, Moto GP rider, scooter accident (2007)
- John Britten, 45, racing motorcycle designer/builder, cancer (1995)
- Andy Caldecott, 41, From injuries whilst competing at the Dakar Rally (2006)
- Kenny Carter, 25, British motorcycle speedway rider, suicide (1986)
- Edward "Teddy" Carroll, 26, board track motorcycle racer, Tuberculosis (1920)
- Frank Charles, 31, British motorcycle speedway rider, gliding accident (1939)
- Robert Dados, 27, Polish motorcycle speedway rider, suicide (2004)
- Matej Ferjan, 34, Slovenian motorcycle speedway rider, his cause of death has not been confirmed (2011)
- Ricky Graham, 40, burns sustained from a house fire (1998)[70]
- Steve Hislop, 41, British Superbike rider, helicopter crash (2003)
- Donald Jacks, 25, AMA superbike rider, road accident (1995)[71]
- Edward Jancarz, 45, Polish motorcycle speedway rider, murdered by his wife (1992)
- Rafał Kurmański, 22, Polish motorcycle speedway rider, suicide (2004)
- Juan López Mella, 30, Spanish road racer (1995)[72]
- Adam Neal, 35, AMA rider, suicide in late 2003 following paralyzing race crash in late 1999
- Randy Renfrow, 46, AMA rider, fall from staircase (2002)[73]
- Billy Sanders, 29, Australian motorcycle speedway rider, suicide (1985)
- Donny Schmit, 29, aplastic anemia (1996)[74]
- Dave Simmonds, 32, fire (1972)[75][75]
- Pascal Terry, 49, myocardial infarction, whilst competing at the Dakar Rally (2009)[76]
Rowing
- Herbert Adamski, 31, German rower, military actions during World War II (1941)[77]
- Hugo Strauß, 34, German rower, military actions during World War II (1941)[78]
Rugby Union
- Nicky Allen, 26, New Zealand rugby union player, head injuries sustained during a match (1984)
- Sam Doble, 33, English rugby union player, cancer (1977)
- Yves du Manoir, 23, French rugby union player, plane crash (1928)
- Nick Duncombe, 21, English rugby union player, meningitis (2003)
- Ivan Francescato, 31, Italian rugby union player, heart attack (1999)
- Barry Holmes, 21, English/Argentinian rugby union player, typhoid (1949)[79]
- Aaron Hopa, 27, New Zealand rugby union player, death as a result of a heart defect, while diving (1998)
- Roy Muir Kinnear, 38, Scottish rugby union/league player, heart attack (1942)
- Shawn Mackay, 26, Australian rugby union player, spinal cord and other injuries suffered when struck by a motor vehicle (2009)
- Alexander Obolensky, 24, Russia-born English rugby union player, plane crash during military training (1940)
- Dick Stafford, 19, English rugby union player, spinal cancer (1912)[79]
Rugby League
- Sonny Fai, 20, New Zealand National Rugby League (NRL) player, disappeared off Te Henga (Bethells Beach) in Auckland while attempting to save a family member. His body has never been found. (2009)
- Sam Faust, 25, Australian National Rugby League (NRL) player, acute myeloid leukemia (2011)
- Hudson Irving, English rugby league player, heart attack (1947)
- Frederick Kelsall, 24–25, English rugby league player, motorcycle accident (1931)
- Roy Muir Kinnear, 38, Scottish rugby union/league player, heart attack (1942)
- Harry Myers, 31, English rugby league player, injuries sustained in a collision while playing for Keighley (1906)
- Terry Newton, 31, English rugby league player, suicide (2010)
- Leon Walker, 20, English rugby league player, death was the result of a rare undiagnosed heart defect, and the coroner ruled that he died of natural causes. (2009)
- Adam Watene, 31, Cook Islands rugby league player, heart attack (2008)
Sailing
- Michael Bannister, drowned (competing in 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race)
- Glyn Charles, drowned (competing in 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race)
- Donald Crowhurst, 36–37, suicide (whilst competing in Sunday Times Golden Globe Race)
- John Dean, drowned (competing in 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race)
- Bruce Guy, heart attack (competing in 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race)
- Hans Horrevoets, 32, drowning (whilst competing in 2005-06 Volvo Ocean Race)
- James Lawler, drowned (competing in 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race)
- Tony Philips, drowning (whilst competing in 1989-90 Whitbread Round the World Race)
- Gerry Roufs, 43–44, drowning (whilst competing in 1996–97 Vendée Globe)
- Felix Scheder-Bieschin, 40, military actions during World War II (1940)
- Phillip Skeggs, drowned (competing in 1998 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race)
- Eric Tabarly, 66, lost at sea (1998)
- Nigel Tetley, 47–48, strangulation by hanging (coroner recorded an Open Verdict) (1972)
Skateboarding
- Tim Brauch, 25, American professional skateboarder, cardiac arrest (1999)
- Shane Cross, 20, Australian skateboarder, motorcycle accident (2007)
- Harold Hunter, 31, American professional skateboarder and actor, accidental cocaine overdose (2006)
- Keenan Milton, 26, American professional skateboarder, drowned (2001)
- Jeff Phillips, 33, American professional skateboarder, suicide (1993)
- Dave Vanderspek, 24, American skateboarder, suicide (disputed as some believed it to be autoerotic asphyxiation) (1988)[80]
- Van Wastell, 24, American professional skateboarder, fell from a hotel balcony (2008)[81]
Skiing
Does not include skiers and snowboarders who died in competition or practice crashes. Please refer to List of skiing deaths.
Cross-country skiing
- Kalle Jalkanen, Finnish cross-country skier and World Champion, military action during the Continuation War (1941)
Ski jumping
- Paul Ausserleitner, 26–27, Austrian ski jumper who crashed in Bischofshofen (1952)
- Pavel Karelin, 21, Russian ski jumper, car accident in 2011
Nordic combined
Alpine skiing
- Richard Kröll, Austrian alpine skier, car accident
- Rudolf Nierlich, 25, Austrian alpine skier, car accident (1991)
- Spider Sabich, 30, American alpine skier, homicide (1976)
Freestyle skiing
- Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, 29 , American freestyle skier, suicide (2011)[82]
- Sandra Schmitt, German freestyle skier, Kaprun disaster (2000)
- Sergey Shupletsov, 25, Russian freestyle skier, motorcycle accident (1995)
Snowboarding
Craig Kelly, 37, American snowboarder, trapped in avalanche near Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada (2003)
Speed skiing
- Nicolas Bochatay, 27, speed skier, accident at the 1992 Winter Olympics
Speed Skating
Surfing
- Eddie Aikau, 31, drowning (1978)
- Mark Foo, 36, surfing accident (1994)
- George Freeth, 35, the "Father of Modern Surfing", influenza (1919)
- Nick Gabaldon, 24, surfing pioneer, surfing accident (1951)
- Andy Irons, 32, three-time American World Champion, undisclosed illness after an event in Puerto Rico (2010)[83]
- Malik Joyeux, 25, surfing accident (2005)
- Rick Rasmussen, 27, homicide (1982)
- Zeca Scheffer, Brazilian surfer, car accident (2006)
- Robert Wilson Simmons, 35, drowning (1954)
- Yancy Spencer III, 60, the "Father of Surfing on the Gulf Coast," heart attack (2011)
Swimming
- Shigeo Arai, 27, Japanese swimmer, military actions during World War II (1944)[84]
- Fran Crippen, 26, American long distance swimmer, heart attack while competing in an open water swimming race in the United Arab Emirates (2010)
- Victor Davis, 25, Canadian swimmer, car accident (1989)[85]
- James Rigg[86], 22, American swimmer, drowned in campus pool at Arizona State University (2011)[87][88]
- Edsard Schlingemann, 23, Dutch Olympic swimmer, car crash (1990)[89]
Wrestling
Freestyle wrestling
- Eliezer Halfin, 24, Israeli, Munich massacre (1972)
- Richard Sanders, 27, American, automobile accident (1972)
- Dave Schultz, 36, American, murdered by John Eleuthère du Pont (1996)
- Mark Slavin, 18, Israeli, Munich massacre (1972)
- Mikael Ljungberg, 34, Sweden, suicide (2004)
Professional wrestling
The list includes wrestlers who were still active, or at least were of an age when they could reasonably be assumed to still be active if they had been fully healthy. Wrestlers who were semi-retired at the time of their deaths, or who had fully retired while healthy, are not included.[Note 1]
The best-known ring name of each wrestler, which may be his or her birth name, is indicated in bold type.
Name Ring name(s) Birth Death Cause Notes Source Lou Abrams Ace Gordon 1959 [90] Chris Adkisson Chris Von Erich 1969 1991 Suicide (gunshot) David Adkisson David Von Erich 1958 1984 Heart attack triggered by acute enteritis Rumors persist that his death was drug-related, despite considerable evidence supporting the official cause. Kerry Adkisson Kerry Von Erich 1960 1993 Suicide (gunshot) Michael Adkisson Mike Von Erich 1964 1987 Suicide (drug overdose plus alcohol) Gary Albright 1963 2000 Heart attack Died during World Xtreme Wrestling show Mike Alfonso Mike Awesome 1965 2007 Suicide (hanging) Rodney Anoa'i Yokozuna 1966 2000 Pulmonary edema Died during independent wrestling tour in Liverpool, England Joseph Carl Bailey Jr. J.C. Bailey 1983 2010 Brain aneurysm from multiple concussions Eddie Baker 1901 1937 Heart attack Died following a wrestling match against Roy Welch. [90][91][92][93] William J. Baldwin Farmer Baldwin 1887 1911 Broken neck Popularly billed as "Iowa’s wrestling champion". Fatal injury was suffered during a match with "Dad" House. [90][91][93][94] Art Barr Beetlejuice,
"The Love Machine"1966 1994 Unknown The circumstances of Barr's death are contested to this day. Initial reports stated that Barr died of an aneurysm, but later reports stated that he died under unknown circumstances. A mixture of drugs and alcohol were found in his bloodstream at the time of his death, although whether or not they contributed to his death remains uncertain. Christopher Bauman Chri$ Ca$h 1982 2005 Motorcycle accident Chris Benoit Pegasus Kid, Wild Pegasus (both during 1989–94 NJPW run) 1967 2007 Suicide (hanging) See Chris Benoit double murder and suicide for further details on his death. Scott Bigelow Bam Bam Bigelow 1961 2007 Drug overdose Wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation in 1987–1988 and in the 1990s. Adolfo Bresciano Dino Bravo 1948 1993 Homicide (shot) Billed as "The World's Strongest Man" during late-1980s WWF run. Larry Cameron "Lethal" Larry Cameron 1952 1993 Heart attack Died during a match with Tony St. Clair [90][92] Christopher Candito Chris Candido, Bodydonna Skip (late 1990s WWF run) 1972 2005 Blood clot The blood clot that caused his death was a complication of a major leg fracture suffered during the TNA Lockdown pay-per-view. Kevin Cawley Black Baron, Pit Bull 1946 1992 [90] John L. Coggeshall Dr. Destruction 1970 2004 Unknown Collapsed during a match with Matthew Gilbert [90][95] Charles Curcuru Chick Garibaldi 1915 1961 Heart attack Died following a match with Bruno Sammartino [90][92][93] Chris Davros Babe Zaharias 1915 1957 Heart attack Died following a match with Bob "Bibber" McCoy [90][92] Johnny Demchuk 1913 1962 Heart failure [90][92] Michael DiBiase "Iron" Mike DiBiase 1923 1969 Heart attack Became ill during wrestling match Bobby Duncum, Jr. 1965 2000 Accidental prescription drug overdose Member of the West Texas Rednecks stable during WCW run. Mike Durham Johnny Grunge 1966 2006 Complications of sleep apnea James D. Eakins "Big" Ike Eakins 1916 1968 Heart attack [90][92] José Vincent Ramos Estrada Sangre India 1956 1979 Head and neck injury Fatal injury was suffered during a tag team match with Leo Lopez against César Curiel and El Vengador [90][91][96] Jack Everhart Gordon McKinley 1922 1958 Unknown Collapsed during a match with Len Montana [90][93][97][98] Edward Fatu Jamal (2002–03 WWE run), Jamaal (AJPW), Ekmo, Umaga (2006–09 WWE run) 1973 2009 Heart attack triggered by drug overdose Keith Franke "Adorable" Adrian Adonis 1954 1988 Car accident Two other professional wrestlers who were traveling with Franke – Victor "Pat Kelly" Arko, and Dave "Wildman" McKigney – died in the accident. The driver of the vehicle they were traveling in was injured but survived. Masakazu Fukuda 1973 2000 Internal bleeding Fatal injury was suffered during a match with Katsuyori Shibata [90][99] Lee Garcia The Medic, Medic #2, Luis Hernandez 1972 Heart attack Died during a wrestling tour in Japan [90][92] Victor Manuel Rodriguez Gracia Victor the Bodyguard 1966 2004 Heart attack Died during an IWA Puerto Rico show [90][100] Luther J. Goodall Luther Lindsay 1924 1972 Heart attack Died during a match with Bobby Paul [90][92] Andrés González Abismo Negro 1971 2009 Drowning Jorge González Giant González 1966 2010 Diabetes Frank Goodish Bruiser Brody 1946 1988 Stabbing Details of his death are contested. Eduardo Guerrero Eddie Guerrero, Black Tiger II (1990s NJPW run) 1967 2005 Acute heart failure Russell Grobes Ron Dupree 1936 1975 Heart failure Died while announcing a wrestling match in Tacoma, Washington [90][92][101][102] Murray Grondin Bull Martin 1945 1979 Heart attack [90][91][92] Ray Gunkel 1924 1972 Blood clot due to heart trauma Fatal injury was suffered during a match with Ox Baker. Jim Hady "Gentleman" Jim Hady 1931 1969 Heart attack [90][92][93][103] Ib Solvang Hansen Eric the Red, Eric the Animal 1934 1978 Head injury Struck by a car while stranded on a Miami highway, Hanson died of his injuries a week later. [90][91][92][104] Owen Hart The Blue Blazer 1965 1999 Internal bleeding from severed aorta Fatal injury resulted from a stunt accident during a live pay-per-view event at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri. Shinya Hashimoto 1965 2005 Brain aneurysm Michael Hegstrand Hawk 1957 2003 Heart attack One-half of the Road Warriors (WCW) or Legion of Doom (WWF), along with Animal. Curt Hennig Mr. Perfect (1988–1996 and 2002 WWF runs) 1958 2003 Acute cocaine intoxication (allergic reaction) Brian Howser Shane Shamrock 1975 1998 Shot in an altercation with police Elizabeth Ann Hulette Miss Elizabeth 1960 2003 Accidental overdose of alcohol and tranquilizers Ignacio Jiménez Ibarra El Hijo de Cien Caras 1978 2010 Homicide (shot) Emiko Kado 1976 1999 Internal bleeding Fatal injury was suffered during a tag team match with Michiko Omukai against Mariko Yoshida and Mikiko Futugami. It is the second in-ring death involving a female wrestler in Japan. [90][91] Kim Sin-rak Rikidōzan 1924 1963 Homicide (stabbed, resulting in peritonitis) Adopted the Japanese name Mitsuhiro Momota before beginning his wrestling career. Malcolm Kirk King Kong Kirk 1936 1987 Heart failure Died during a match with Big Daddy Christopher Klucsaritis Chris Kanyon, Kanyon, Mortis 1970 2010 Suicide (apparent overdose) Jack Lewis "California Red Devil" Jack Lewis 1934 Heart attack Died after match with Harry Kent [90][92][105] Vincent Lizdennis Dennis Clary 1925 1955 Brain tumor Died during a match with Ali Bey [90][91][92][93][106] Mike Lockwood Crash Holly (WWE), Johnny Pearson, Erin O'Grady, The Green Ghost, Mad Mikey (TNA) 1971 2003 Suicide by apparent drug overdose Max Martinshult Terry McGinnis 1911 1952 [90][92][107] Lance McNaught Lance Cade, Garrison Cade (2003–04 WWE run), Cowboy Cade (2008–10, indies and Japan) 1981 2010 Heart failure Medardo Jim "Jimmy" Leon, Jr. "Bad Boy" Ricky Lawless, Jim Leon, Jim Nunna 1959 1988 Homicide (gunshot) Murdered over an alleged extramarital affair Arland C. Miller Buddy O'Brien 1909 1941 Multiple injuries Died of injuries sustained during a confrontation with a police officer. [90][108] Mitsuharu Misawa Tiger Mask II (1984–90 AJPW run) 1962 2009 Cervical spine injury Died after taking a back body drop from Akitoshi Saito during a match. The cause of death is surmised; Misawa's family invoked a Japanese law allowing the next of kin of a deceased person to prevent disclosure of the official cause of death. Gran Naniwa 1977 2010 Heart attack Ole Olson 1923 Unknown Collapsed during a match with L. D. King [90][109] Brian Ong 1977 2001 Concussion Fatal injury was suffered during an APW Boot Camp training session with Dalip Singh [90] Louis Papineau 1928 1964 Heart attack Died after a match with Gino Brito [90][91][92][93][110] Ali Pasha 1961 Heart attack Died following a match against Billy Darnell. [90][111] Ted Petty Rocco Rock, The Cheetah Kid, Colonel DeKlerk 1953 2002 Heart attack Brian Pillman Flyin' Brian (1989–92 in NWA/WCW), Yellow Dog (briefly in WCW) 1962 1997 Atherosclerotic heart disease Daniel M. Quirk Spider, Stuart 1982 2005 Head injury Fatal injury was suffered during a match with Hi-Lite Kid. One of the first major in-ring deaths to occur on the United States independent circuit. [90] Jack Ray Cowboy Russell 1896 1936 Spinal injury Fatal injury was suffered during a match with Dick Powell. [90][112] Sylvester Ritter Junkyard Dog 1952 1998 Auto accident Richard Rood "Ravishing" Rick Rude 1958 1999 Accidental drug overdose Tex Riley 1916 1964 Heart attack Died following a tag team match with Joe Scarpa against Kurt and Karl Von Brauner. [90][92][113] Mike Romano 1896 1936 Broken neck Fatal injury was suffered during a match with Jack Donovan [90][91][92][114] André Roussimoff André the Giant 1946 1993 Congestive heart failure He suffered from acromegaly, a pituitary condition that led to his enormous size but ultimately incapacitated him and almost certainly contributed to his premature death. William Rush Jack Rush, Canadian Angel 1912 1955 Heart attack Died during a tag team match with Pedro Godoy against Milo and Dick Steinborn; his partner Godoy continued the match after Rush collapsed during the second fall. [90][115] Frank Scarpa 1916 1969 Heart attack [90][92][116] Mike Shaw Bastion Booger, Norman The Lunatic 1957 2010 Heart attack Joe Shimkus 1896 1934 Brain concussion Fatal injury was suffered during a match with Babe Caddock. [90][92][117] David Smith Davey Boy Smith, The British Bulldog 1962 2002 Heart attack Was training for a return to wrestling at the time of his death. Jesús Solís Oro 1971 1993 Brain aneurysm Died as a result of an in-ring injury. Cause of death surmised from circumstances because no autopsy was performed at his family's request. Ignacy J. Stasiak Stanley Stasiak 1895 1931 Blood poisoning The blood poisoning that caused his death was a complication of a broken arm suffered during his match against former world champion Ed Don George at the Arena Gardens. [90][92][118] Guy Taylor Dr. X, Guy Taylor 1968 Died following a match with Doctor X [90] John Tenta Earthquake, Avalanche, The Shark, Golga 1963 2006 Bladder cancer Was forced to retire because of his ultimately fatal illness. Alberto Torres 1934 1971 Ruptured pancreas Fatal injury was suffered during a match with Ox Baker. [90][91][92] Raymond Traylor Big Boss Man, Big Bubba Rogers, Guardian Angel 1963 2004 Heart attack Jerry Tuite The Wall (WCW), Malice (TNA) 1967 2003 Heart attack Mariko Umeda Plum Mariko 1967 1997 Brain hemorrhage Died as a result of head injury received during a match. The cause of death is surmised from the circumstances of her injury and events leading to it; her father requested that no autopsy be performed. Michael Verdi Trent Acid 1980 2010 Accidental drug overdose Michel Vigneault Michel "Mad Dog" Martel 1944 1978 Unknown Fatal injury was suffered during a 6-man tag match with Pierre Martin and Jack Lafarb against Carlos Colon and "The Invaders" (Invader I and Invader II) [90][92] Ralph Weaver Buck Weaver 1906 1956 [90] Alexander Whybrow Larry Sweeney 1981 2011 Suicide by hanging Steven Williams "Dr. Death" Steve Williams 1960 2009 Complications from throat cancer Williams had battled cancer for the last years of his life, wrestling while his disease was in remission. He retired at almost the same time as his cancer returned for the last time. Jim Wright "Big" Jim Wright 1963 Died during a tag team match [90][119][120] Tex Wright 1907 1935 Heart failure Died following a match with Ali Yumed [90][91][92][121] Charles Wolfe Gino Hernandez 1957 1986 Apparent cocaine overdose Jeanette Wolfe 1933 1951 Cerebral hemorrhage Adopted daughter of world champion Mildred Burke and Billy Wolfe. Fatal injury was suffered during a tag team match with Eva Lee against Mae Young and Ella Waldek. Reportedly the first in-ring death involving a female wrestler in the United States. [90][122][123] Sumo wrestling
- Maruyama Gondazaemon, 35, probably dysentery (1749)
- Tanikaze Kajinosuke, 44, the flu (1795)
- Tamanoumi Masahiro, 27, heart attack during a delayed appendectomy (1971)
- Daishōhō Masami, 32, pancreatic cancer (1999)
- Takashi Saito, 17, heart failure following hazing (2007)
- Tamanishiki San'emon, 34, delayed appendectomy (1938)
- Kenkō Satoshi, 30, pulmonary embolism (1998)
Table Tennis
- Andrzej Grubba, 47, Polish table tennis player, lung cancer (2005)
Tennis
- Vitas Gerulaitis, 40, Lithuanian–American tennis player, carbon monoxide poisoning (1994)
- Henner Henkel, 27, German tennis player, KIA during Battle of Stalingrad (1942)
- Joe Hunt, 24, American tennis player, plane crash (1944)
- Daniela Klemenschits, 25, Austrian tennis player, stomach cancer (2008)
- Karen Krantzcke, 31, Australian tennis player, heart attack (1977)
- Federico Luzzi, 28, Italian tennis player, leukemia (2008)
- Mathieu Montcourt, 24, French tennis player, heart attack (2009)
- Arthur O'Hara Wood, 27–28, Australian tennis player, KIA during World War I (1918)
- Menno Oosting, 34, Dutch tennis player, car accident (1999)
- Rafael Osuna, 30, Mexican tennis player, plane crash (1969)
- Ernie Parker, 34, Australian tennis player, KIA during World War I (1918)
- Michael Westphal, 26, German tennis player, AIDS (1991)
- Tony Wilding, 31, New Zealand tennis player and Wimbledon champion, KIA during World War I (1915)
Volleyball
- Arkadiusz Gołaś, 24, Polish volleyball player, car accident (2005)
- Flo Hyman, 31, American women's volleyball player, aortic dissection caused by Marfan syndrome (1986)
- Agata Mróz-Olszewska, 26, Polish women's volleyball player, infection following a bone marrow transplant (2008)
Water polo
- Iss Lajos, Romanian water polo player, massive stroke
Weightlifting
- David Mark Berger, 28, Israeli weightlifter, Munich massacre (1972)
- Ze'ev Friedman, 28, Israeli weightlifter, Munich massacre (1972)
- Siarhei Lahun, 22, Belarusian weightlifter, car accident (2011)
- Waldemar Malak, 22, Polish weightlifter, car accident (1992)
- Yossef Romano, 32, Israeli weightlifter, Munich massacre (1972)
Other sports
- Harry Chamberlin, 56–57, American show jumping rider, unknown illness (1944)[124]
- Jill Costello[125], 22, American rowing coxswain, University of California, lung cancer (2010)[126][127]
- Patrick Dinsmore, 16, (Gaelic footballer), undetected heart condition (2010)
- Shane Drury, 27, American rodeo performer, cancer (2006)
- Lane Frost, 25, American rodeo performer, gored by bull after completing a ride (1989)
- Kurt Hasse, 36, German show jumping rider, KIA during World War II (1944)
- Tommy Hitchcock, Jr., 44, American polo player, test plane crash (1944)
- Michael Hogan, 23–24, shot by British forces in the Croke Park massacre on Bloody Sunday (1920)
- Paul Hunter, 27, English snooker player, cancer (2006)
- Zdzisław Kawecki, 37, Polish show jumping rider, Katyn Massacre (1940)
- Yeardley Love[128], 22, American lacrosse defender, University of Virginia, murdered (2010)[129]
- Jesse Marunde, 27, American strongman, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (2007)
- Cormac McAnallen, 24, Irish gaelic football player, undetected heart condition (2004)
- Takeichi Nishi, 42, Japanese show jumping rider, KIA during Battle of Iwo Jima (1945)
- Todd Skinner, 47, American free climber, fell from cliff (2006)
- Jón Páll Sigmarsson, 32, Icelandic strongman, heart failure (1993)
- Jannes van der Wal, 39, Dutch Draughts (or Checkers) player, leukemia (1996)
Notes
- ^ Examples of such individuals include the following:
- Lillian Ellison, better known as The Fabulous Moolah, was sporadically active at the time of her death in 2007, but was age 84, and had largely retired from active wrestling for over 20 years.
- Andrew Martin, best known as Test, died at age 33 in 2009, but had announced his retirement from professional wrestling the previous year while healthy, and had not performed since. Similarly, Luna Vachon died at age 48 in 2010, but had retired in 2007 while in reasonable health.
- John Minton, better known as Big John Studd, died at age 47 of liver cancer in 1995, but had retired in 1990, long before his illness had been diagnosed. (Contrast with John Tenta, who is included because he was forced to retire from wrestling due to the bladder cancer that ultimately caused his death, and "Dr. Death" Steve Williams, who retired at almost the same time that the throat cancer he had been battling during his last years returned for the final time.)
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- ^ http://www.militaryhorse.org/features/dimarco/hdc.php
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Categories:- Death-related lists
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