Has an Athlete Died During an Olympic Competition?

The Olympics are filled with memorable moments, from close finishes to remarkable triumphs. Yet it can be easy to overlook how demanding—and potentially dangerous—the events can be. Injuries are common, and a number of athletes have suffered fatal incidents during competition or training. Below we take a look at athletes whose Olympic dreams ended in tragedy.

Francisco Lázaro (1912)

Olympians have long sought an edge during competition, and Lázaro was no exception. For the marathon at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, the 21-year-old Portuguese runner coated much of his body in grease (or wax). How this would help his performance is debated. Some sources state that Lázaro thought that by not sweating—the grease would block his pores—his time would be faster. Others claim the grease was to protect against sunburn and thereby increase his endurance. Whatever the rationale, some 19 miles (30 km) into the race, Lázaro collapsed. The grease severely impaired his body’s ability to cool down, and Lázaro’s temperature was more than 105 ℉ (41 ℃). Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, and the following day Lázaro became the first athlete to suffer a fatal event during an Olympic competition.

Knud Enemark Jensen (1960)

The 23-year-old Danish cyclist Enemark Jensen was competing in the team time trial at the 1960 Games in Rome. The race, which was 62 miles (100 km), was especially arduous as temperatures soared to 108 ℉ (42 ℃). Some 12 miles (20 km) from the finish line, Enemark Jensen was overcome by heatstroke. He fell from his bike and struck his head, dying several hours later. While his death was attributed to a skull fracture, there were conflicting reports that Enemark Jensen had taken multiple drugs, including amphetamines.

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Ignaz Stiefsohn (1936)

At the 1936 Games in Berlin, Stiefsohn of Austria was participating in demonstrations for gliding. While at an altitude of some 2,300 feet (700 meters), the wing on his glider broke. Stiefsohn, who was 25, crashed to the ground and died.

Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypecki (1964)

The 58-year-old Kay-Skrzypecki of Great Britain was scheduled to compete in the luge at the 1964 Games in Innsbruck, Austria. The sport, considered one of the most dangerous, was making its Olympic debut. Kay-Skrzypecki was doing a training run when he crashed. He suffered massive injuries and died the following day, reportedly after suffering a heart attack.

Ross Milne (1964)

Several days after the death of Kay-Skrzypecki, Milne also died during a training session at the Olympics in Innsbruck. The 19-year-old Australian skier was scheduled to compete in the downhill event, which had drawn concerns over potential danger. Notably, the course was extremely fast and lacked protective barriers. During a practice run Milne lost control and struck a tree at about 60 miles (97 km) per hour. He was taken by helicopter to a hospital but died en route.

Nicolas Bochatay (1992)

At the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France, 27-year-old Bochatay was competing in speed skiing, a demonstration sport. A Swiss national champion in the event, he was practicing on a public slope before the final event. At one point he went airborne and struck a machine used for grooming trails. Bochatay died instantly.

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Nodar Kumaritashvili (2010)

Shortly before the opening ceremony of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Kumaritashvili, a 21-year-old luger from Georgia, was killed after crashing into a steel column during a practice run. With competitors able to reach speeds of 90 miles (145 km) per hour, the track was the fastest in the world. The last bend before the finish line raised concerns, and it was there that Kumaritashvili lost control. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital, where he died.

Munich massacre (1972)

Arguably the most notable deaths during the Olympics took place outside of the competition. At the 1972 Games in Munich, 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team, 5 of whom were athletes, were killed during a terrorist attack. The incident, known as the Munich massacre, was orchestrated by affiliates of the Palestinian militant group Black September. They took the Israeli members hostage—killing two in the process—and demanded the release of more than 200 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. A rescue attempt at Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base led to the deaths of the Israeli hostages as well as one West German police officer and five terrorists.