Athletes Deaths Thread

[Makedonas 2,155]

On 10/14/2022 at 8:22 AM, Makedonas said:

 Alexandros Nikolaidis (taekwondo) passed away at the age of 42 due to cancer. He won silver medals at Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, and was Greece's flag bearer for the opening ceremony at London 2012.

South Korea's Moon Dae-Sung, who beat Nikolaidis in the final at the 2004 Olympics, traveled to Thessaloniki, Greece to visit Nikolaidis' grave. He told reporters that he had a very strong relationship with Nikolaidis, and that he was sorry that it took him so long to visit his grave. I think this is a really beautiful story and it shows the Olympic spirit. 

 

Video here (in English) https://www.gazzetta.gr/tae-kbon-nto/2186421/alexandros-nikolaidis-ston-tafo-toy-o-koreatis-poy-antimetopise-ston-teliko

Edited January 10, 2023 by Makedonas

[Olympian1010 7,971]

 

[Makedonas 2,155]

Seems like only Greeks are dying lately...

[Gianlu33 4,542]

6 hours ago, Olympian1010 said:

 

Bye bye to the man the helped establish dictatorship in Greece

 

[heywoodu 15,124]

2 hours ago, Gianlu33 said:

Bye bye to the man the helped establish dictatorship in Greece

 

Curious what Greek users say about this, since most things I'm reading seem to point towards him trying a coup against the junta/dictatorship, but with no success, and then being kicked out of the country. You made it sound like he welcomed a dictator with open arms or something

 

Very curious how Greeks see this situation though, they definitely know more about it than my five minutes of online reading  

[Belle 971]

 The first Olympic Champion in Biathlon, Klas Lestander, has passed away in an age of 91.

 

1960, in Squaw Valley, he became the first Olympic Gold Medalist in Biathlon. 

 

https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/a/APEXa3/os-guldmedaljoren-i-skidskytte-klas-lestander-dod-blev-91-ar

[Makedonas 2,155]

On 1/11/2023 at 3:53 AM, heywoodu said:

Curious what Greek users say about this, since most things I'm reading seem to point towards him trying a coup against the junta/dictatorship, but with no success, and then being kicked out of the country. You made it sound like he welcomed a dictator with open arms or something

 

Very curious how Greeks see this situation though, they definitely know more about it than my five minutes of online reading  

It's a complicated and controversial situation and even a few days ago when people brought up his death, there were a lot of differing reactions from people. You have to go back about 100 years ago when Greeks were really divided on supporting the monarchy or the democracy.

[heywoodu 15,124]

Former pro cyclist Lieuwe The Beast Westra has died yesterday, aged only 40. According to the guy who wrote his biography, "he had been fighting with himself the past years, and lost". Retired early 2017 more or less out of the blue due to a depression, but seemed to be living a good life with his wife in Spain now...  

 

Edit: after his career he married his Australian girlfriend, they started a cycling hotel in Spain, but since past summer they were in divorce proceedings and he had moved back to the Netherlands.

 

 

Edited January 15, 2023 by heywoodu

[Belle 971]

 Jane Cederqvist, silver medalist in 400m freestyle in Olympic Games in Rome 1960.

 

She passed away in age of 77.

 

She fight the absolutely horrible disease ALS. But lost of course 

 

https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/a/15j06W/jane-cederqvist-dod-i-als-blev-77-ar-gammal

[Dragon 1,842]