This month, the athletic world was rocked by the untimely passing of Kelvin Kiptum in a car crash along with his coach. Just 24 years old, this marathon superstar had made a massive impact on the sport, breaking the world record with his 2.00:35 marathon in Chicago 2023, and many believed he would be the first-ever runner to break the 2-hour marathon in competition. He was just at the start of his career – and his potential was off the chart.
However, he’s not the only sporting star who has left this earth far too soon. Here, we pay tribute to those who died too young.
Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman, an American football player chosen by the Arizona Cardinals in the 1998 NFL Draft, played in the NFL until 2002. Despite declining a $3.6 million offer to stay with the Cardinals, Tillman chose instead to enlist in the army – motivated by the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Initially involved in the Iraq invasion, Tillman was later deployed to Afghanistan. Unfortunately, it was there he met his untimely end near the Pakistan border in 2004 – with the official cause of death being attributed to friendly fire. Following his passing at the age of 27, the Pat Tillman Foundation was established in his honour.
Andres Escobar
The 1994 World Cup left a lasting impression for various reasons, with one of the most poignant being the tragic murder of player Andrés Escobar. Representing Colombia, Escobar’s team ended up being eliminated in the group stages after a 2-1 loss to the USA, a match in which Escobar unintentionally scored an own goal.
Upon his return to Medellin, he was seen as the villain… and the reason that they were sent home early from the World Cup. As such, Escobar, aged just 27, was fatally shot. The motive behind his murder was never revealed – although speculation suggests it might have been orchestrated by a powerful drug lord who held him responsible for inadvertently scoring against his own team and losing him a hefty sum of money.
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna is still one of Formula 1’s most prominent figures. The Brazilian won the F1 World Champion title three times and enjoyed widespread adoration in his homeland. In practically every race he was in, every online betting UK site had him as the favourite to win… and he was a legend in his own time.
However, tragedy struck in 1994 during the San Marino Grand Prix when Senna, at the age of just 34, lost his life in a crash. The same weekend also saw the unfortunate demise of fellow driver Roland Ratzenberger.
Senna’s death shook the world, as many witnessed the fatal incident live on television. In the aftermath of this tragic event, the F1 governing team made moves to increase the safety measures for drivers during races.
Reggie Lewis
Following an impressive breakout season in 1988-89, Reggie Lewis emerged as one of the NBA’s standout players. His performance earned him an All-Star selection in 1991-92, and he went on to maintain an average of 20.8 PPG in his fifth and his sixth seasons. However, in 1993, Lewis shockingly experienced a heart attack during a game.
He survived the heart attack, but it sidelined him for the remainder of the season, and he was advised to retire from the sport – as it could potentially risk his life. Despite the warning, he chose to ignore it and tragically passed away on July 27 while practising – at just 27 years old. In honour of his memory, the Celtics retired the number 35 jersey in 1995.
These are just some of the tragic stories of sporting legends who have passed way too soon. There have been others who also are worthy of mentioning. Phillip Hughes, the Australian cricketer who was struck by a cricket ball and killed, aged 25; Owen Hart, 34, the WWF wrestler who was killed in the ring after an 80 ft fall; Paul Hunter, the snooker prodigy who died of cancer aged 26 and sadly too many more died prematurely.
Each of these made a significant impact in the world of sports and never managed to fulfil their full potential. We can only imagine what Kelvin Kiptim would have achieved, and his death is a great loss to the world of athletics.
