Athletes Deaths Thread

[PHI2019 262]

Olympic bronze medallist and former JOC vice-president Kiyoko Ono dies from COVID-19

 

 

Kiyoko Ono, a former vice-president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and gymnast who won bronze at Tokyo 1964, has died from coronavirus.

 

She received treatment for the infection only for her situation to worsen and passed away on March 13 at the age of 85.

 

Born in Iwanuma in 1936, Ono represented her country in gymnastics at the Olympic Games in 1960 and 1964 and gave birth to her first two children in between those appearances.

 

Ono was part of the Japanese women’s gymnastics team that claimed a bronze medal at Tokyo 1964.

 

Her husband Takashi Ono is considered one of Japan’s all-time great gymnasts having achieved five gold, four silver and four bronze medals at the Olympics.

The 89-year-old appeared in four Olympics between 1952 and 1964.

 

Olympic bronze medallist and former JOC vice-president dies from COVID-19

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Katherine Diaz, only 22, surfing, was trying to qualify for Tokyo, and was struck by lightning while training.

 

[PHI2019 262]

World and Olympic judo champion Toshihiko Koga dies aged 53

 

Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto has led the tributes to her former team mate and Olympic judo gold medallist Toshihiko Koga who has died from cancer at the age of 53.

 

In 1992 Koga was the reigning world lightweight - under-71 kilograms - champion and a firm favourite for gold but had injured his knee in a training bout before the Barcelona Olympics. He overcame the injury to defeat Hungarian Bertalan Hajtós in the gold-medal bout.

 

Koga retired after the Games but returned to compete in Atlanta at the centennial Games where he won under-78kg silver.

 

World and Olympic judo champion Koga dies aged 53

[PHI2019 262]

Former snowboard world champion Julie Pomagalski dies in avalanche

 

Snowboarder Julie Pomagalski, who won the women's snowboard cross world title in 1999, has died at the age of 40 after being caught in an avalanche in Switzerland.

 

Pomagalski was a two-time Olympian, competing at Salt Lake City 2002 and Turin 2006 in parallel giant slalom, finishing sixth on both occasions.

 

The French athlete was also the Snowboard Cross World Cup runner-up in 2004, five years on from winning the world title in Berchtesgaden in Germany.

She later claimed silver at the World Championships in parallel giant slalom in 2003.

 

Former snowboard world champion Pomagalski dies in avalanche

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Uruguayan football and basketball TV and radio announcer Alberto Sonsol died of coronavirus at age 63.

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Brazilian 2014 and 2018 Olympic bobsledder Odirlei Pessoni died in a motorcycle accident today, aged 38.

http://www.cbdg.org.br/nota-de-pesar-pelo-falecimento-de-odirlei-pessoni/

[PHI2019 262]

Bibian Mentel-Spee dies after cancer battle

 

 

Three-time Paralympic snowboarding champion Bibian Mentel-Spee has died aged 48 after battling cancer for more than 20 years.

 

She won gold at Sochi 2014, where para-snowboarding made its Games debut, before claiming two titles at Pyeongchang 2018.

 

Bibian Mentel-Spee dies after cancer battle - BBC Sport

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 Michele Pasinato dies at the age of 52 after unsuccessful fight against cancer

 

he was one of the Golden Generation guys of the Italian male Volleyball, multiple European Champion, 1998 World Champion and member of the unlucky Barcelona 1992 Olympic team...

 

currently, he was a youth coach of the Padua club team, the same where his career started as a player...

 

https://www.italy24news.com/sport/13001.html

 

RIP 

[Vektor 3,326]

Diána Igaly, Olympic champion of women's skeet in 2004, has passed away at the age of 56. The cause of her death is COVID related. One of our greatest athletes in shooting, rest in piece. 

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To celebrate her, here are the videos of her win in Athens: