Obituaries

Over the years, more than 110,000 Olympians have competed. Here we remember those who passed away recently.

Please direct corrections or omissions to .

2006

January

Theunis van Schalkwyk (RSA) died January 2006. Won the silver medal in the 1952 lightweight class, behind legendary pugilist László Papp.

Manon Charette (CAN) died 1 January 2006. In 1976, she competed in handball in her home Olympics in Montréal, placing 6th.

Henk de Looper (NED) died 2 January 2006. Bronze medallist in field hockey at the 1936 Olympics, together with his brother Jan.

Nel van Vliet (NED) died 4 January 2006. Became Olympic champion in the 200 m breaststroke at the 1948 Olympics in London.

Raatbek Sanatbayev (KGZ) died 8 January 2006. A wrestling bronze medallist (2000), and candidate for the presidency of his NOC, killed after being attacked by two men.

John Sinibaldi (USA) died 10 January 2006. Cyclist, competing in the 1932 and 1936 road race events.

Eric Namesnik (USA) died 11 January 2006. Won back-to-back silver medals in the 400 m individual medley (swimming) in 1992 and 1996.

Hans Schenk (GER) died 19 January 2006. Placed 12th in the 1964 javelin throw competition.

Mantokoane Pitso (LES) died 22 January 2006. She ran in the 1500 m at the 1992 Barcelona Games, placing 14th in the first heat.

Savino Guglielmetti (ITA) died 23 January 2006. Won two gold medals in gymnastics at the 1932 Olympics (team all-around and horse vault), competitor in 1936 and 1948.

Lau Mulder (NED) died 29 January 2006. Goalie of the Dutch field hockey team at the 1952 Games, winning the silver medal behind India.

February

Leslie Wilson (GBR) died February 2006. Cyclist competing in the 1952 tandem event with Alan Bannister, losing in the quarter-finals.

Pat Rupp (USA) died 2 February 2006. Goaltender for the US ice hockey team at the 1964 (5th) and 1968 (6th).

Franco Rossi (ITA) died 3 February 2006. Ice hockey player, competed in the Olympics both before and after World War II (1936, 1948).

Rufino Bernedo (CHI) died 3 February 2006. He played basketball in 1952 and 1956, placing 5th in Helsinki.

Otto Steingräber (GDR) died 3 February 2006. Freestyle wrestler, competing in the 1980 welterweight class, eliminated in the third round.

Lou Jones (USA) died 3 February 2006. Won the gold medal in the 4 × 400 m relay, while finishing 5th in the individual event.

Jenő Dalnoki (HUN) died 4 February 2006. Competed twice for the Hungarian Olympic football team, winning a gold medal in 1952, and a bronze in 1960.

Larry Black (USA) died 8 February 2006. He won gold in the 4 × 100 m relay at the 1972 Games, as well as silver in the 200 m.

Ibolya Csák (HUN) died 10 February 2006. She won the women's high jump event at the 1936 Berlin Games.

Gennady Tsygankov (URS) died 16 February 2006. Played on the victorious Soviet ice hockey teams of 1972 and 1976.

Charles Leonard (USA) died 18 February 2006. Won a silver medal in the 1936 modern pentathlon after recording a perfect score in the pistol shooting part of the event.

Ferenc Bene (HUN) died 27 February 2006. He won the football gold with Hungary in 1964 and was European Player of the Year in 1969.

Tom Hodgson (CAN) died 27 February 2006. Later an abstract painter, he twice competed in canoeing (1952 and 1956).

Bob McFarlane (CAN) died 27 February 2006. Carried the flag for Canada at the opening ceremonies of the 1948 Olympics, was eliminated in the semi-finals of the 400 m (track and field).

March

Reidar Liaklev (NOR) died 1 March 2006. Olympic champion in speed skating (5000 m) at the 1948 Sankt Moritz Olympics.

Teresa Ciepły-Wieczorek (POL) died 7 March 2006. Olympic champion in the 4 × 100 m relay (1964) and silver medallist in the 80 m hurdles the same year; won bronze in the relay in 1960.

Johan Elmsäter (SWE) died 9 March 2006. A silver medallist in the 3000 m steeple chase of 1948, also competing in cross country skiing and the nordic combined in 1948 and 1952.

István Gyulai (HUN) died 12 March 2006. Track athlete who competed in 1964, father of Olympians Márton and Mikló Gyulai and husband of Olympian Olga Kazi.

Jonatan Johansson (SWE) died 12 March 2006. Died weeks after competing in the snowboard cross event at the Turin Winter Games.

Gun Röring (SWE) died 17 March 2006. Member of the Swedish team that won the gold medal in the 1952 team event with portable apparatus.

Johan Bontekoe (NED) died 25 March 2006. European swimming champion in 1962 (400 m freestyle), he competed in the 1964 Olympics.

Kristoffer Lepsøe (NOR) died 26 March 2006. Rower, won bronze in the 1948 eights competition, also participated in 1952.

Werner Carmichael (SUI) died 27 March 2006. Won the 1972 gold medal in the two-man bobsleigh with Jean Wicki.

Wanderley Magalhães (BRA) died 28 March 2006. Brazilian road cyclist who raced in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics.

Bert Oldershaw (CAN) died 28 March 2006. Paddled in the double Canadian in three Olympics: 1948, 1952, 1956.

Pauli Tavisalo (FIN) died 30 March 2006. Finnish track athlete, competing in the sprint events at his home Olympics in 1952.

Gerhard Potma (NED) died 31 March 2006. Sailed in the Flying Dutchman class at two Olympics (1992, 1996) with his brother Nico.

Olive McKean (USA) died 31 March 2006. Won a bronze medal with the US 4 × 100 m freestyle swimming relay team at the 1936 Games.

April

Gianni Corsaro (ITA) died 12 April 2006. He competed in race walking at the 1948 and 1960 Games.

Aleksandr Dolgushin (URS) died 17 April 2006. He competed as a water polo player in three Olympics, and won two medals: gold in 1972 and silver in 1968.

Jos Vissers (BEL) died 18 April 2006. As 1947 European Champion, he won a silver medal in the boxing lightweight class at the London Olympics.

Ken Jones (GBR) died 19 April 2006. Silver medallist with the 4 × 100 m relay team and rugby international for Wales 1947–1957.

Appie Corman (NED) died 24 April 2006. Quarter-finalist at the 1948 flyweight competition in boxing.

Wally Hayward (RSA) died 27 April 2006. Ran the 1952 Olympic marathon, finishing 10th.

Gösta Sandberg (SWE) died 27 April 2006. A national team player in bandy, football and ice hockey, he won a bronze medal with the Swedish football team in 1952.

Mustapha Adnane (MAR) died 28 April 2006. Moroccan weightlifter who participated in two Olympics: Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964.

Shankar Laxman (IND) died 29 April 2006. Goalkeeper of the Indian field hockey team at three Olympics, playing three finals: 1956 (gold), 1960 (silver) and 1964 (gold).

Siegfried Joksch (AUT) died 29 April 2006. Austrian football player participating in the 1948 Olympics.

Ben Blaisse (NED) died 30 April 2006. Competed as a speed skater in the 1936 Winter Games.

Corinne Rey-Bellet (SUI) died 30 April 2006. Four time Winter Olympian in alpine skiing, murdered by her husband, who committed suicide afterwards.

May

David Tsimakuridze (URS) died in May 2006. Georgia's first Olympic champion, winner of the middleweight division in freestyle wrestling at the 1952 Olympics.

Theo Terlingen (NED) died 1 May 2006. Competed in three Olympics as a hockey player: 1960, 1964 and 1968.

Kaare Hammer (NOR) died 2 May 2006. A race walker who competed in the 1948 and 1952 Olympics.

Franco Lavoratori (ITA) died 3 May 2006. Competed in water polo at for consecutive Olympics from 1960 to 1972, winning a gold medal in Rome.

Konstantin Beskov (URS) died 6 May 2006. He played football in the 1952 Games (eliminated 2nd round) and was later coach of Dynamo and Spartak Moscow.

Alfréd Jindra (TCH) died 7 May 2006. Won a bronze medal in canoeing (1952), in the 10000 m single Canadian.

Gregorio Rojo (ESP) died 8 May 2006. Long-distance runner, entered the 5000 and 10000 m at the 1948 London Olympics.

Corey Engen (USA) died 9 May 2006. Born in Norway (as Kåre Engen), competed for the US at the 1948 Winter Games in cross country skiing and the nordic combined.

Floyd Patterson (USA) died 11 May 2006. Winner of the gold in the middleweight, he later boxed his way two the professional world heavyweight title.

Fernando Inchauste (BOL) died 13 May 2006. Competed in canoeing at the 1964 and 1968 Games, switched to shooting in 1972.

Alexander Leibkind (FRG) died 18 May 2006. Participated in judo's lightweight event at the 1976, eliminated in the first round.

Irving "Toots" Meretsky (CAN) died 18 May 2006. Jewish basketball player who competed in the 1936 Olympic in Nazi Germany, winning a silver medal.

Nic Stene (NOR) died 20 May 2006. Speed skater, placed 15th in the 1500 m at the Winter Games on home ground (1952).

Heinz Stettler (SUI) died 24 May 2006. Won a bronze medal in the four-man bobsleigh event at the 1984 Sarajevo Games.

Thorleif Schjelderup (NOR) died 28 May 2006. Winner of the bronze medal in the ski jumping event.

Samuel Félix (MEX) died 30 May 2006. Competitor in the 2000 modern pentathlon who was shot in Lamont, California (USA) and died from his injuries.

Bjørn Vade (NOR) died 30 May 2006. Ran the 400 m (2nd round) and 800 m (semi-finals) at the 1948 Olympics.

June

Tone Cerer (YUG) died in June 2006. Swam for Yugoslavia at the 1936 and 1948 Games, later emigrated to the US.

Stan Jones (GBR) died in June 2006. Last finisher in the 1948 Olympic marathon.

Fernando López (ESP) died 3 June 2006. Former world record holder in the equestrian long jump, 34th in the 1952 Olympic three day event.

Herbert Buhtz (GER) died 7 June 2006. Silver medallist in the 1932 double sculls with Gehard Boetzelen.

Terry McCann (USA) died 7 June 2006. In 1960, he won the gold medal in the bantamweight class (-57 kg), freestyle wrestling.

Neroli Fairhall (NZL) died 11 June 2006. Competed in archery at the 1984 Games, becoming the first Olympian to compete from a wheelchair.

Dennis Shepherd (RSA) died 13 June 2006. Boxed his way to a silver medal in the 1948 featherweight division.

Carlos Tovar (PER) died 15 June 2006. Won the controversial 1936 football match against Austria, which was annulled after irregularities in the break.

Mart Paama (URS) died 29 June 2006. Estonian javelin thrower competing in two Olympics (1960, 1968), placing 11th in Rome.

July

Gianmario Roveraro (ITA) died in July 2006. A high jumper at the 1956 Games, he was found dead near Parma after having been missing since 5 July.

Yousuf Khan (USA) died 1 July 2006. A member of the Indian footbal team that played in Rome 1960.

Gert Fredriksson (SWE) died 5 July 2006. One of Sweden's greatest Olympians, won 8 Olympic medals (6 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) from 1948 to 1960.

Kalervo Toivonen (FIN) died 5 July 2006. Won the bronze medal in the 1936 javelin throw event.

Jean d'Orgeix (FRA) died 5 July 2006. Also an actor (as Jean Pâqui), he won a bronze medal riding Sucre de Pomme in the 1948 individual jumping event.

Ossi Reichert (GER) died 9 July 2006. Alpine skier who participated in the 1952 and 1956 Winter Olympics. In the latter, she won a gold medal in the giant slalom, Germany's first post-war gold.

Andrew Sudduth (USA) died 15 July 2006. A silver medallist in the eights (rowing) at the 1984 Los Angeles games.

Ulli Jansen (GER) died 19 July 2006. The ice hockey goalie played for Germany at three Winter Olympics (1952-1960).

Ans Koning (NED) died 22 July 2006. Javelin thrower, placed sixth at the 1948 London Games, won a bronze medal at the European Championships 2 years earlier.

George Frenn (USA) died 26 June 2006. Competed in the 1972 hammer throw event, but didn't make it past the qualification.

August

Afonso Évora (BRA) died in August 2006. Winner of a bronze medal in the 1948 basketball competition.

George Mara (CAN) died in August 2006. Played on the Canadian ice hockey team that won the gold medal at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz.

Ramchandra Parab (IND) died 1 August 2006. One of the few players on the 1948 Indian football team (which lost to France in the first round) to wear shoes.

Chinatsu Mori (JPN) died 9 August 2006. A shot putter at the Athens Olympics, she died — aged only 26 — of appendix cancer.

Neil Campbell (CAN) died 11 August 2006. Competed as a rower in two Olympics (1964 and 1968), and coached the Canadian eights to a gold medal in 1984.

Payao Poontarat (THA) died 13 August 2006. In 1976, he won Thailand's first Olympic medal when he won a bronze medal in boxing's light-flyweight class.

Fran�ois Fabius (FRA) died on 13 August 2006. Member of the French three-day-event team of 1972, which finished 11th; he placed 43rd individually with his horse Ut Majeur.

Faas Wilkes (NED) died 15 August 2006. Considered one of the all-time best Dutch footballers, eliminated by Great Britain in the 1948 tournament.

Arturo Maffei (ITA) died 17 August 2006. Finished fourth in the long jump final of the 1936 Games, which was won by the legendary Jesse Owens.

Warren Chivers (USA) died 18 August 2006. Cross country skier at the 1936 Winter Olympics, finishing 48th in the 18 km and 11th with the U.S. relay team.

Shyam Radhey (IND) died 19 August 2006. Played with the Indian basketball team at the 1980 Moscow Games, placing 12th and last.

Merv Wood (AUS) died 19 August 2006. Competing in four Olympics, Wood won three Olympic medals in rowing, including the gold in the 1948 single sculls.

Walter Steffens (GER) died 23 August 2006. Last surviving member of the German gymnastics team that won the team competition in 1936.

September

Bob Mathias (USA) died 2 September 2006. Won the Olympic decathlon in 1948 as a 17-year-old, and repeated his victory in Helsinki 1952.

Wim van Duyl (NED) died 3 September 2006. Sailed in the Dragon class in four Olympics (1948, 1952, 1960 and 1964), placing 6th in Helsinki.

Mark Graham (CAN) died 4 September 2006. A member of the Canadian 4 x 400 m relay team in 1992, he was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan.

Emilie Mondor (CAN) died 9 September 2006. Only 25 years old, she died of injuries sustained in a car accident.

Arne Hoel (NOR) died 10 September 2006. Competed twice in ski jumping, finishing 6th in 1952 and 11th in 1956.

Peter Clentzos (GRE) died 11 September 2006. He competed for Greece in the 1932 Olympics in his native California, placing 7th in the pole vault.

John Allen (USA) died 16 September 2006. Race walker, finished 24th in the 1960 50 km event.

Hans Berglund (SWE) died 17 September 2006. At the 1948 Olympics, he won a gold medal in the K2 1000 m (kayak) event with Lennart Klingstr�m.

Roy Schuiten (NED) died 19 September 2006. In track cycling at the 1972 Games, he was eliminated in the quarter-finals of both the individual and the team pursuit.

Per Stavem (NOR) died 24 September 2006. A shot putter in 1948 and 1952, he placed 8th in Helsinki.

Clarence Robison (USA) died 25 September 2006. Competed in the heats of the 1948 5,000 m event, but failed to finish his race.

October

Peter Norman (AUS) died 3 October 2006. A silver medallist at the 1968 200 m, he is best known for sharing the podium with Tommie Smith and John Carlos.

Don Thompson (GBR) died 5 October 2006. Already a competitor in 1956, won the gold medal in the 50 km walk at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Puck Brouwer (NED) died 6 October 2006. A silver medallist in the 200 m at the 1952 Games, unable to compete in 1956 due to the withdrawal of the Dutch team.

Manfredo Alipala (PHI) died 8 October 2006. Eliminated in the 2nd round of the welterweight division in the 1964 boxing competition.

Kalle Tuominen (FIN) died 10 October 2006. Silver medallist in the 3000 m steeple chase at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Chun Wei Cheung (NED) died 14 October 2006. Won a silver medal at the 2004 Games as a coxswain for the Dutch eight; died of cancer aged only 34.

Ondina Valla (ITA) died 16 October 2006. Olympic champion in the 80 m hurdles at the 1936 Summer Games.

Laurie Taitt (GBR) died 18 October 2006. A native of Guyana, competed for Great Britain in the high hurdles event at the 1964 Olympics.

Chepe Rodríguez (CUB) died 19 October 2006. Member of the Cuban water polo team that placed 8th at the 1968 Olympics.

Maxi Herber (GER) died 20 October 2006. Figure skating gold medalist in the pairs event at the 1936 Olympics, together with her future husband Ernst Baier.

November

Frits Smol (NED) died 1 November 2006. At the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, he won a bronze medal with the Dutch water polo team. Also competed in 1952.

Fil Leanderson (USA) died 2 November 2006. Winner of a bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics with the American coxed four-oared shell.

Pietro Rava (ITA) died 5 November 2006. The last surviving gold medallist of the golden Italian football team that played at the Berlin Games.

Fico López (PUR) died 6 November 2006. Died of a heart attack at age 44, competitor in the 1988 and 1992 Olympics basketball tournaments.

Fransisco Fernández Ochoa (ESP) died 6 November 2006. Alpine skier who became Spain's first (and thusfar only) Winter Olympic champion when he won the 1972 slalom.

Annette Rogers (USA) died 8 November 2006. Twice a gold medallist in the 4 × 100 m relay (1932 and 1936), also was also a top high jumper, placing 5th in both years.

Johan van Domselaar (NED) died 11 November 2006. Competed in the small bore rifle events (prone, 3 positions) at the 1964 Olympic Games.

Bertil Antonsson (SWE) died 27 November 2006. He participated as a wrestler in four Olympic Games, from 1948 to 1960. In both 1948 and 1952, he won a silver medal in the freestyle heavyweight class.

December

Fred Norris (GBR) died 13 December 2006. He placed 8th in the 1952 10,000 m race, and failed to finish the 1956 Olympic marathon.