Tom Mees.
Not an athlete, but sportscaster is close enough.
Tom Mees.
Not an athlete, but sportscaster is close enough.
This thread actually demonstrates how significant the loss of Sammy Wanjiru truly is. Many of the athletes mentioned were at the peak of their careers, but very few were arguably the very best in the world when they died. Some might have had the potential to be the best, but Sammy Wanjiru was always within 60-90 days of being the very best marathoner in the world.
Johny Owen in world title fight
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Owen
They made a great documentary about this where the father of Johny Owen decades later met the guy who threw the fateful punch
A lot of champion boxers in the past died going off the rails, a bit like Sammy usually, when they retire and are a bit lost and similarly have hangers own just there for the money
Cyclist Tom Simpson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Simpson
He collapsed and famously said put me back on the Bike' The next time he collapsed and didn't get back up. Well according to wiki he said something different. I've got his bio at home and need to check that. Harry Hall lived in my home town & had a bike shop nearby. He had a lot of tragedy in his own family as well, but Harry got back on his own bike and went on to be world masters age group champion
Miklos Feher died during a soccer match for his club Benfica... imagine 60.000 people seeing that before their eyes.
Sydney Maree
Laurence Owen. Two days after the date of her Sports Illustrated cover.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/cover/featured/7704/index.htm
Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley
Pat Tillman
Richard Shea - All-American miler at West Point, turned down Olympic Trials to go to Korea. Killed one year later at Pork Chop Hill. Awarded the Medal of Honor.
man with no name wrote:
Pat Tillman
Richard Shea - All-American miler at West Point, turned down Olympic Trials to go to Korea. Killed one year later at Pork Chop Hill. Awarded the Medal of Honor.
Go back on the posts and you'll see Pat Tillman was already mentioned by me.
Austin Box, senior linebacker at Oklahoma, just died today.
Apollo Creed
Lane Frost
George Woolf
Not an athlete but big in the track industry--
Adam Jacobs, Founder of TheFinalSprint.com. Died a few years ago (maybe last year) and was only 24. Wish I had the chance to meet him.
Jordan
Addie Joss
Ray Chapman
Maria Cioncan, the 1500m bronze medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
http://www.letsrun.com/2007/1500die.php
Do you remember that memorable final? She took the chance of staying in the first lane when everybody else was trying to pass on the outside. I am wondering how many of you would have done the same in an Olympic final under tremendous pressure?
Really? No one has mentioned Ryan Shay yet?
How about American free skiers C.R. Johnson (24 y.o.)and Shane McConkey (39 y.o.)
Both were X-games medalists as well as innovators in their sport.
John Holmes
Polish Athletics was not lucky, under this point of view.
Wladislaw Komar, Olympic Champion 1972 in shot put ; Bronislaw Malinowski, for many years one of top 3 specialist of 3000 steeple in the World ; and Tadeusz Slusarski, one of the best pole vaulters, all died in crash accidents.