No cause of death for two Olympic medalists this week

No cause of death has been given for two Olympic champions who were found dead this week.

32-year-old Tori Bowie, an American track and field athlete who won three Olympic medals and a two-time world champion in track and field, was found dead in Florida on Wednesday.

“We’re devasted [sic] to share the very sad news that Tori Bowie has passed away,” Bowie’s management company Icon Management said in a statement. “We’ve lost a client, dear friend, daughter and sister. Tori was a champion…a beacon of light that shined so bright! We’re truly heartbroken and our prayers are with the family and friends.”

Tributes have been pouring in for the athlete, who took home the gold, silver and bronze medals at the 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro.

Bowie’s death came two days after 51-year-old Olympic medalist Calvin Davis was found dead, according to World Athletics.

Davis took home the bronze for the 400m hurdles at the 1996 games in Atlanta. He competed in the 2001 world championships, after which he became a coach.

Bowie’s and Davis’ deaths add to the growing list of recent unexplained deaths or severe injuries suffered by athletes.

Former NFL defensive lineman Chris Smith last month died at the age of 31. It is unclear exactly when or how Smith died.

In March, XFL athletic trainer Ben Siegfried died unexpectedly at the age of 22. No cause of death was disclosed.

In January a Monday Night Football game was suspended mid-game after 24-year-old Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field. 

Hamlin’s cardiac arrest came just days after former NFL player Uche Nwaneri was found dead in his home. Autopsy results Monday revealed the 38-year-old Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker had died of an “enlarged heart with acute heart failure.” 

In December of last year NFL legend and four-time Superbowl champion Franco Harris died in his sleep at 72, though no cause of death was disclosed. 

Also in December New York Jets rookie offensive tackle Max Mitchell was sidelined after doctors found blood clots in one of his lungs and his right leg. 

In November 56-year-old former NFL defensive lineman Brad William Henke died in his sleep. No cause of death was disclosed. 

Also in November 45-year-old former NFL defensive lineman Adrian Dingle died unexpectedly. No cause of death was disclosed. 

20-year-old college basketball star Derek Gray died unexpectedly in July after suffering a ‘cardiac event’, according to his coach. 

The same month, champion cyclist Victor Lafay Friday withdrew from Tour de France after he and several of his colleagues began experiencing unexplained shortness of breath. The 26-year-old, who played  for UCI Worldteam Cofidis, had managed to cross the Alps but did not have the strength to continue. 

"I find it hard to breathe,” he told Eurosport France. “I lack oxygen, I have pain in all my legs, no strength. All the COVID tests are negative, it could be something else. We are many in the group who have the same symptoms.” 

Olympic swimmer Anita Alvarez in June fainted in the swimming pool during her routine at the FINA World Aquatic Championships and was rescued just in time by coach Andrea Fuentes.

Health concerns among athletes have been rising since 2021 when an investigation found a five-fold increase in sudden cardiac and unexplained deaths among FIFA players in 2021.