THANATOS ATTENDS THE GAMES

Couch potatoes such as myself do not merely marvel at the exquisite skill and athletic prowess exhibited by the competitors in the Olympics and contemplate how totally inadequate our performances would be should we even attempt most of these activities; we are gobsmacked that people can do these things without killing themselves in the process, especially those who participate in extreme events like gymnastics or downhill skiing.

Amazingly, there have been only* two contestants who died during actual competition in the Olympics--Francisco Lázaro, a Portuguese marathoner in 1912, and Knud Jensen, a Danish cyclist in 1960. Both of these athletes were struck down by heat stroke. 

At least eight others have died during the games from training accidents, car crashes, or illness.

Unfortunately, there were eleven more contestants who perished while at the Olympics--the Israeli athletes murdered by terrorists at the summer games in Munich in 1972.

The above tally does not include numerous fatalities from various causes among the millions of spectators who have attended the games throughout the years.

*Obviously, it goes without saying that the friends and loved ones of the deceased would have disputed the use of the term "only."

Hendrick Andriessen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons