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Phillip Hughes -

Phillip Hughes was an Australian Test and One Day International cricketer. He played domestic cricket for South Australia and Worcestershire, and two seasons with New South Wales before making his Test debut in 2009 at the age of 20.

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Phillip Hughes -

In 2014, Hughes played for the South Australia team against New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield competition. While playing, a bowled ball struck Hughes in the neck; the impact damaged an artery, leading to a brain hemorrhage and subsequent death. 

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Ray Chapman -

Ray Chapman was an American baseball player who spent his entire career as a shortstop for the Cleveland Guardians (then known as the Cleveland Indians.)

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Ray Chapman -

During a game against the New York Yankees, pitcher Carl Mays threw the ball, but Chapman didn't see it. The ball struck Chapman in the head, causing him to collapse on the pitch and pass away from brain damage.

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Jose Flores -

Peruvian-born Jose Flores made a name for himself as a jockey in the United States. He won 4,650 races throughout his career.

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Jose Flores -

In March 2018, Flores raced at what's now known as Parx Racing. While riding his horse, Love Rules, the mount fell with no warning, causing Flores to fall to the ground headfirst. Flores died from massive cranial damage.

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Fran Crippen -

Fran Crippen was an American long-distance swimmer. He won seven medals in international competitions, five of which were in the open water and two in the pool.

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Fran Crippen -

In 2010, Crippen took part in the FINA Marathon Swim World Series in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates. At the end of the race, Crippen didn't appear, and after a frantic search, divers found his body under the water. Prior complaints of feeling unwell and heat exhaustion are believed to have resulted in Crippen's death.

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Kim Duk-koo -

Kim Duk-koo was a South Korean boxer who was one of the most dominant boxers in Asia in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

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Kim Duk-koo -

In 1982, Duk-koo challenged Ray Mancini for his WBA Lightweight title. Mancini took control as the fight went on, and in the 14th round, Mancini struck Duk-koo repeatedly with multiple heavy punches, causing him to collapse. He experienced a subdural hematoma and passed away. 

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Chuck Hughes -

Chuck Hughes was an American football player who was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles and the Detroit Lions. During a 1971 game against the Chicago Bears, when running back to the huddle, Hughes clutched his chest and collapsed. He suffered a massive heart attack due to undiagnosed arteriosclerosis.

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Marc-Vivien Foé -

Marc-Vivien Foé was a Cameroonian professional soccer player. He played defensive midfield in Ligue 1 and the Premier League with Lens, West Ham United, Lyon, and Manchester City.

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Marc-Vivien Foé -

In 2003, Foé represented his country, Cameroon, during the FIFA Confederations Cup. In the 72nd minute of the semi-final against Columbia, Foé collapsed and, despite medical staff's attempts to revive him, passed away aged 28. An investigation found he had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle. 

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Ayrton Senna da Silva -

Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver who won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1988, 1990, and 1991. 

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Ayrton Senna da Silva -

In 1994, Senna competed in the San Marino Grand Prix. At lap 7, his car was unable to turn at the Tamburello corner, causing the vehicle to crash into the concrete at approximately 145 miles per hour (233 kilometers per hour.) Senna was pronounced dead shortly after.

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Dale Earnhardt -

Dale Earnhardt was an American stock-car racer and renowned mechanic. Earnhardt dominated the NASCAR scene and is often named one of the best drivers the sport has ever seen. 

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Dale Earnhardt -

In the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500, Earnhardt clipped Sterling Marlin’s car, lost control, and struck Ken Schrader's car before colliding with the outside wall. He died from a basilar skull fracture at age 49.

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Lane Frost -

Lane Frost was a professional bull rider and earned multiple titles throughout his career. In 1989, during the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo in Wyoming, Frost was struck by the bull's horns, causing fatal internal injuries. 

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Alexei Cherepanov -

Alexei Cherepanov was a Russian ice hockey player who was considered one of the top prospects of his generation. Cherepanov was drafted 17th overall by the New York Rangers in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

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Alexei Cherepanov -

Cherepanov's career and life were tragically cut short during a Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) game on October 13, 2008, when Cherepanov collapsed. Despite efforts to revive him, he passed away from heart failure at just 19 years old.

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Anthoine Hubert -

Anthoine Hubert was a French professional racing driver. Hubert won the GP3 Series championship in 2018, which earned him a spot in the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2019.

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Anthoine Hubert -

On August 31, 2019, Hubert was involved in a high-speed collision during a Formula 2 race at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. He died of his injuries aged just 22.

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Benny "Kid" Paret -

Benny "Kid" Paret was a Cuban professional boxer who became a prominent welterweight fighter during the late 1950s and early 1960s. 

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Benny "Kid" Paret -

On March 24, 1962, during his third fight against Emile Griffith, Paret was brutally knocked out in the twelfth round. He slipped into a coma due to the injuries sustained and passed away 10 days later.

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Bill Masterton -

Bill Masterton was a Canadian American professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League for the Minnesota North Stars in 1967–68.

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Bill Masterton -

During a game against the Oakland Seals, Masterton (front, left) collided with two of his opponents and hit his head on the ice. The impact caused Masterton to lose consciousness as he wasn't wearing a helmet. He died from his injuries two days later.

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Nodar Kumaritashvili -

Nodar Kumaritashvili was a Georgian luge athlete who, when training for the 2010 Winter Olympics in British Colombia, Canada, lost control of his luge and was thrown into an unprotected steel pole. Kumaritashvili passed away from his injuries aged just 21. 

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1955 Le Mans Disaster -

The 1955 Le Mans Disaster was the worst racing accident in the history of motorsport. On June 11, 1955, at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France, Pierre Levegh was driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, one of the fastest cars in the race.

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1955 Le Mans Disaster -

Levegh hit a car driven by Mike Hawthorn, sending him through the air and into the spectator area. The impact caused the vehicle to burst into flames, launching debris into the crowd, which killed 84 people, including Levegh, and injured many more.

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Lazar Dukic -

On August 8, 2024, Serbian Lazar Dukic died during a swimming event in Marine Creek Lake, Fort Worth, Texas, during the 2024 CrossFit Games. His tragic death has raised questions about whether there is adequate safeguarding in place to protect the participants in the intense multi-day competition.

Sources: (Watch Mojo) (The Washington Post)

See also: The most decorated athletes of all time

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