List of sportspeople who died during their careers
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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.
[edit] 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.
- 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)
[edit] American football
[edit] Pro Football
[edit] 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)
[edit] National Football League
This table includes players who left the NFL for active military service. Each player is listed with team he last played for before death, rather than the team he spent most of his playing career with.
† 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.
[edit] NFL Europe
- Donald Sellers, 26, WR, Scottish Claymores, car accident (2001)
[edit] XFL
- Troy Stark, 28, OL, New York/New Jersey Hitmen, complications from surgery (2001)
[edit] College football
[edit] NCAA football
- 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)
[edit] 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 | Italian | 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 |
| Jarl Malmgren | 33 | Finnish | midfielder | military action in World War II | 1942 |
| 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 |
| Holger Salin | 32 | Finnish | striker | missing in action during World War II | 1943/1944 |
| 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 |
| Ondřej Voříšek | 18 | Czech | goalkeeper | car accident | 2004 |
| 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 | 23 | 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"[24] | |
| 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 |
[edit] 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[25] | 27 | American | long distance runner | bicycle accident | 2011[26] |
| 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[27] | 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[28] | 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.[29] | 1943 |
[edit] 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 |
| Max Orr | 24 | Melbourne | half-forward | car accident | 1955 |
| 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 |
[edit] Baseball
[edit] 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.
[edit] 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 |
[edit] Basketball
[edit] International (men)
- Miska Alanko, Pussihukat, car accident (1997)
- Ángel Almeida, 25, Clube Portugal Telecom, heart attack (1997)[35]
- Davide Ancilotto, 23, Virtus Roma, brain hemorrhage (1997)[36]
- Paolo Barlera, 27, Virtus Bologna, leukemia (2009)[37]
- Alexander Belov, 26, Spartak Leningrad, cardiac sarcoma (1978)
- Jonathan Bourhis, 19, JDA Dijon, car accident (2009)[38]
- Haris Brkić, 26, KK Partizan, homicide (shot) (2000)
- Lavelle Felton, 29, Paderborn Baskets, homicide (shot) (2009)[39]
- Scott Fenton, 24, Perth Wildcats, car accident (1989)
- Joan Filbá, 26, OAR Ferrol, car accident (1981)[40]
- 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)
- Nikola Ilici, 26, Asesoft Ploieşti, cancer patient (2011)
- Zoltán Horváth, 30, Falco KC Szombathely, car accident (2009)[41]
- Kenyon Jones, 27, Maroussi BC, heart attack (2005)[42]
- Yadgar Karimov, 20, UNICS Kazan, heart attack (2001)[43]
- 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)[44]
- Trajko Rajković, 32, OKK Beograd (1970)
- Enrico Ravaglia, 23, Pallacanestro Cantù, car accident (1999)[45]
- Gabriel Riofrío, 23, Estudiantes de Bahía Blanca, heart attack (2001)[46]
- 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)[47]
- Heino Veskila, 22, World War II (1941)[48]
- Kevin Widemond, 23, Ovarense, heart attack (2009)
[edit] International (women)
- Olga Yakovleva, 24, Chevakata Vologda, drowning (2010)[49]
[edit] USA
[edit] 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)
[edit] NCAA (men)
- Jeron Lewis, 21 , Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles, fall/head injury (2010)Cite error: Closing
</ref>missing for<ref>tag; see the help page - 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)
[edit] NAIA (men)
- Brandon Oldenkamp, 21, Dordt College, climbing accident on Grand Teton (2010)[50]
[edit] WNBA
- Kim Perrot, 32, Houston Comets, cancer (1999)
[edit] NCAA (women)
- Kurt Budke[51], 50, Oklahoma State University, coach, plane crash in Perry County, Arkansas (2011)
- Maggie Dixon, 28, Army, coach, heart arrhythmia (2006)
- Alisa Lewis, 20, University of California, bacterial meningitis (2004)[52]
- Shawntinice Polk, 22, University of Arizona, pulmonary embolism (2005)
- Miranda Serna[53], 36, Oklahoma State University, assistant coach, plane crash in Perry County, Arkansas (2011)
- Tina Stewart[54], 21, Middle Tennessee State University, stabbing (2011)[55]
- Shannon Washington[56], 20, Florida A&M, stabbing (2011)[57]
[edit] 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[58]
- 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.
[edit] Bodybuilding
- Mohammed Benaziza, 31, heart attack (1992)[59]
- Andreas Münzer, 31, liver and kidney failure (1996)[60]
- Brian Taylor, 38, heart attack (1980)
[edit] Boxing
[edit] 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 | ||
| Francisco Rodriguez | Mexican | 2009 | USBA | super bantamweight | Teon Kennedy | |
| 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 | ||
| Roman Simakov(boxer) | Russian | 2011 | heavyweight | Sergey Kovalev |
[edit] 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)[61]
- 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)
[edit] Canadian Football League
- Norm Casola, 29, Toronto Argonauts, Running Back/Receiver, cancer (1998)[62]
- 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.
[edit] Canoeing
- György Kolonics, 36, Hungarian sprint canoer, heart attack during practice (2008)
- Rich Weiss, 33, American slalom canoer, drowned in accident (1997)
[edit] Cricket
- Abdul Aziz, 17, Pakistani cricketer, hit over heart by ball during a game (1959)
- Tamim Bashir, 19, Khulna Division, malaria (2004)
- Gary Bricknell, 22, Western Province, train accident (1977)
- 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)
- Lancelot Robinson, 29, MCC, Balochistan earthquake (1935)
- 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)
- Dodger Whysall, 41, England, blood poisoning (1930)
[edit] 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)
[edit] 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.
[edit] Cyclo-Cross
[edit] MTB
- Jure Robic, 45, Slovenian MTB and road cyclist, car crash (2010)
[edit] 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)[63]
- 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)[64]
- Xavier Tondó, 32, Spanish, accident with a garage door while preparing for training (2011)[65]
[edit] Track Cycling
- Yulia Arustamova, 24, Russian, suicide (2007)
- Amy Gillett, 29, Australian, hit by a car while training (2005)[66]
- 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)
[edit] 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)
[edit] Fencing
- Vladimir Smirnov, 28, Olympic champion fencer, accident during a match (1982)
[edit] 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
[edit] Golf
- 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)
[edit] 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[67] (2009)
[edit] 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)[68]
- Sebastian Faißt, 20, German handball player, heart failure (2009)
- Arthur Knautz, 32, German field handball player, KIA during World War II (1943)[69]
- Heinz Körvers, 27, German field handball player, KIA during World War II (1942)[70]
- Oleg Velyky, 32, Ukrainian-born German handball player, skin cancer (2010)
[edit] 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. Also, does not include horses.
- 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)
[edit] 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
[edit] Luge
- Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypeski, 50, England, accident (1964)
- Nodar Kumaritashvili, 21, Georgia, practice crash (2010)
[edit] 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
[edit] Motorsport
[edit] 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)[71]
- 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)[72]
- René Le Bègue, 32, Grand Prix driver, asphyxiation by gas fumes of his bathroom boiler (1946)[73]
- 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)[72]
- Ulrich Bigalke, Grand Prix driver, KIA at Battle of Britain (1940)[72]
- Tim Birkin, 36, Grand Prix driver and member of the Bentley Boys, illness (cause of death varies from source to source) (1933)[72]
- 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)[72]
- Richard Burns, 34, World Rally Champion in 2001, brain tumour (2005)
- Shaun Carlson, 35, drag racer, Brugada Syndrome (2009)[74]
- 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)
- Christian Elder, 38, NASCAR driver, accidental methadone overdose (2007)
- 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)
- Kevin Grubb, 31, NASCAR driver, suicide (2009)
- Bobby Hamilton, 49, NASCAR driver, cancer (2007)
- Rudolf Hasse, 36, Grand Prix driver, illness during military service during the Eastern Front (1942)[75]
- Matt Hawkins, 21, ARCA driver, gun accident (2009)
- Mike Hawthorn, 29, Formula 1 World Champion, road accident (1959)
- Ricky Hendrick, 24, NASCAR driver/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)[76]
- 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)[77]
- Jimmy Miller, 20, Sprint car driver, killed in combat in Vietnam (1967)[78]
- 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)
- Benny Parsons, 65, NASCAR driver, cancer (2007)
- 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)[79]
- Bob Wollek, 57, sportscar driver, cycling accident (2001)
[edit] Motorboat racing
- Donald Aronow, 59, boat builder, murdered (1987)
- Mike Thomas, hydroplane driver, construction accident (1967)[80]
- Dwight Bale, drag boat driver, drowned whilst riding in a rubber raft through a rapid (1973)[81]
- Bernard Marszałek, 31, Polish driver powerboat, asthma attack (2007)
[edit] 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)[82]
- Steve Hislop, 41, British Superbike rider, helicopter crash (2003)
- Donald Jacks, 25, AMA superbike rider, road accident (1995)[83]
- 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)[84]
- Adam Neal, 35, AMA rider, suicide following paralyzing race crash in 1999 (2003)
- Randy Renfrow, 46, AMA rider, fall from staircase (2002)[85]
- Billy Sanders, 29, Australian motorcycle speedway rider, suicide (1985)
- Donny Schmit, 29, aplastic anemia (1996)[86]
- Dave Simmonds, 32, fire (1972)[87][87]
- Pascal Terry, 49, myocardial infarction, whilst competing at the Dakar Rally (2009)[88]
[edit] Rowing
- Herbert Adamski, 31, German rower, military actions during World War II (1941)[89]
- Hugo Strauß, 34, German rower, military actions during World War II (1941)[90]
[edit] 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)[91]
- 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)[91]
[edit] 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)
[edit] 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)
[edit] 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)[92]
- Van Wastell, 24, American professional skateboarder, fell from a hotel balcony (2008)[93]
[edit] Skiing
Does not include skiers and snowboarders who died in competition or practice crashes. Please refer to List of skiing deaths.
[edit] Cross-country skiing
- Kalle Jalkanen, Finnish cross-country skier and World Champion, military action during the Continuation War (1941)
[edit] Ski jumping
- Paul Ausserleitner, 26–27, Austrian ski jumper who crashed in Bischofshofen (1952)
- Pavel Karelin, 21, Russian ski jumper, car accident in 2011
[edit] Nordic combined
[edit] 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)
[edit] Freestyle skiing
- Jeret "Speedy" Peterson, 29, American freestyle skier, suicide (2011)[94]
- Sandra Schmitt, 19, German freestyle skier, Kaprun disaster (2000)
- Sergey Shupletsov, 25, Russian freestyle skier, motorcycle accident (1995)
[edit] Snowboarding
Craig Kelly, 37, American snowboarder, trapped in avalanche near Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada (2003)
[edit] Speed skiing
- Nicolas Bochatay, 27, speed skier, accident at the 1992 Winter Olympics
[edit] Speed Skating
[edit] 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)[95]
- 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)
[edit] Swimming
- Shigeo Arai, 27, Japanese swimmer, military actions during World War II (1944)[96]
- 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)[97]
- James Rigg[98], 22, American swimmer, drowned in campus pool at Arizona State University (2011)[99][100]
- Edsard Schlingemann, 23, Dutch Olympic swimmer, car crash (1990)[101]
[edit] Wrestling
[edit] 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)
[edit] 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 | [102] | |||
| 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. | [102][103][104][105] | |
| 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. | [102][103][105][106] |
| 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 | [102][104] |
| 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 | [102] | ||
| John L. Coggeshall | Dr. Destruction | 1970 | 2004 | Unknown | Collapsed during a match with Matthew Gilbert | [102][107] |
| Charles Curcuru | Chick Garibaldi | 1915 | 1961 | Heart attack | Died following a match with Bruno Sammartino | [102][104][105] |
| Chris Davros | Babe Zaharias | 1915 | 1957 | Heart attack | Died following a match with Bob "Bibber" McCoy | [102][104] |
| Johnny Demchuk | 1913 | 1962 | Heart failure | [102][104] | ||
| 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 | [102][104] | |
| 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 | [102][103][108] |
| Jack Everhart | Gordon McKinley | 1922 | 1958 | Unknown | Collapsed during a match with Len Montana | [102][105][109][110] |
| 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 | [102][111] | |
| Lee Garcia | The Medic, Medic #2, Luis Hernandez | 1972 | Heart attack | Died during a wrestling tour in Japan | [102][104] | |
| Victor Manuel Rodriguez Gracia | Victor the Bodyguard | 1966 | 2004 | Heart attack | Died during an IWA Puerto Rico show | [102][112] |
| Luther J. Goodall | Luther Lindsay | 1924 | 1972 | Heart attack | Died during a match with Bobby Paul | [102][104] |
| 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 | [102][104][113][114] |
| Murray Grondin | Bull Martin | 1945 | 1979 | Heart attack | [102][103][104] | |
| 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 | [102][104][105][115] | |
| 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. | [102][103][104][116] |
| 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. | [102][103] | |
| 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 | [102][104][117] | |
| Vincent Lizdennis | Dennis Clary | 1925 | 1955 | Brain tumor | Died during a match with Ali Bey | [102][103][104][105][118] |
| 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 | [102][104][119] | ||
| 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. | [102][120] |
| 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 | [102][121] | ||
| Brian Ong | 1977 | 2001 | Concussion | Fatal injury was suffered during an APW Boot Camp training session with Dalip Singh | [102] | |
| Louis Papineau | 1928 | 1964 | Heart attack | Died after a match with Gino Brito | [102][103][104][105][122] | |
| Ali Pasha | 1961 | Heart attack | Died following a match against Billy Darnell. | [102][123] | ||
| 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. | [102] |
| Jack Ray | Cowboy Russell | 1896 | 1936 | Spinal injury | Fatal injury was suffered during a match with Dick Powell. | [102][124] |
| 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. | [102][104][125] | |
| Mike Romano | 1896 | 1936 | Broken neck | Fatal injury was suffered during a match with Jack Donovan | [102][103][104][126] | |
| 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. | [102][127] |
| Randy Savage | "Macho Man" Randy Savage | 1952 | 2011 | Heart attack | Savage was involved in a car accident at the time he suffered his heart attack. Initial reports of his death indicated that he had been killed in the collision, when in fact he and his wife had been wearing seatbelts and suffered only minor physical injuries in the crash. After later test, it was concluded that Savage had an enlarged heart and advanced coronary disease. | |
| Frank Scarpa | 1916 | 1969 | Heart attack | [102][104][128] | ||
| 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. | [102][104][129] | |
| 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. | |
| Mark Smith | Bison Smith | 1973 | 2011 | Heart complications | ||
| 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. | [102][104][130] |
| Guy Taylor | Dr. X, Guy Taylor | 1968 | Died following a match with Doctor X | [102] | ||
| 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. | [102][103][104] | |
| 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) | [102][104] |
| Ralph Weaver | Buck Weaver | 1906 | 1956 | [102] | ||
| 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 | [102][131][132] | ||
| Tex Wright | 1907 | 1935 | Heart failure | Died following a match with Ali Yumed | [102][103][104][133] | |
| 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. | [102][134][135] |
[edit] 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)
[edit] Table Tennis
- Andrzej Grubba, 47, Polish table tennis player, lung cancer (2005)
[edit] Tennis
- 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)
[edit] 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)
[edit] Water polo
- Iss Lajos, Romanian water polo player, massive stroke
[edit] 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)
[edit] Other sports
- Harry Chamberlin, 56–57, American show jumping rider, unknown illness (1944)[136]
- Jill Costello[137], 22, American rowing coxswain, University of California, lung cancer (2010)[138][139]
- 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[140], 22, American lacrosse defender, University of Virginia, murdered (2010)[141]
- 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)
[edit] 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.)
[edit] References
- ^ "12 Austin Box". Oklahoma Sooners. http://www.soonersports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/box_austin00.html. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
- ^ "OU linebacker Austin Box dies after being found unconscious". The Oklahoman. 2011-05-19. http://www.newsok.com/ou-linebacker-austin-box-dies-after-being-found-unconscious/article/3569434. Retrieved 2011-05-19.
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