Popular American sports journalist Grant Wahl died of an aneurysm in his heart while covering the World Cup, according to an autopsy.
The 49-year-old was in Qatar covering the football tournament and was at Argentina’s quarter-final win over the Netherlands before collapsing in the press box.
Attempts were made to revive Wahl for up to half an hour before he was sent to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Wahl’s wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, on Wednesday confirmed on her husband’s website that “Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium,”, referring to the wall that surrounds the heart.
“The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms. No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him.
“His death was unrelated to COVID. His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death.”
Wahl had complained earlier in the week that he was feeling ill, writing five days before his death: “
“My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you.
“What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA vs Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.”
Wahl wrote that he tested negative for COVID-19 and sought treatment for his symptoms.
“I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno,” he wrote.
Wahl’s body has since be transported back to New York.
