Our condolences to the family and friends of Hungarian canoeist Gyorgy Kolonic, who passed away yesterday. His fans are making tribute videos to Gyorgy and I’m uploading one such video here.

Here’s a report from the AP of his untimely death.

Two-time Olympic canoeing gold medalist Gyorgy Kolonics died Tuesday after collapsing in his canoe during training.

The 36-year-old Kolonics lost consciousness and paramedics were not able to resuscitate him, the Hungarian Olympic Committee said, adding that the probable cause of death was heart failure.

“Kolonics was a true legend of Hungarian sports, an athlete at the peak of his career who was in a class by himself,” committee president Pal Schmitt said in a statement.

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Our condolences to Nicolae Linca’s family and friends. Here’s a report from the AP about his death.

AP via CBS: BUCHAREST, Romania — Nicolae Linca, Romania’s only Olympic gold medalist boxer, died at his home Saturday. He was 79.

Fighting with a broken right wrist, Linca beat Irish boxer Frederick Tiedt to win gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Linca was awarded the victory by three of the five judges.

Linca died in his hometown of Feisa in Transylvania, northwest Romania. Daily Pro-Sport reported the former welterweight had been suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease for several years.

“He left a legacy which even now we have the duty to try and equalize, and why not, even to do better,” said Rudel Obraja, president of the Romanian Boxing Federation.

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An AP file photo of Polish fencer Witold Woyda after his gold medal victory in Munich 1972. As we posted earlier, Woyda died yesterday. He was 69.

Related: Poland’s Witold Woyda: Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist

PHOTO SOURCE: AP via ESPN

We offer our condolences to the family and friends of two-time fencing Olympic gold medalist Witold Woyda. He passed away today.

From polskieradio:
Witold Woyda, one of the finest fencers in the history of Polish sport, has died in Bronxville, New York state, at the age of 69. Born in 1939, he took part in four Olympic Games, in 1960, 1964, 1968 and 1972.

He achieved his greatest success at the close of his career, winning two gold medals – in the individual and team foil tournaments – at the Munich Games in 1972. Woyda also had one silver and one bronze Olympic medals, as well as ten medals at the World Fencing Championships to his account.

Witold Woyda was a graduate of the Law Department at Warsaw University. His honours included the Knight’s and Officer’s Crosses of the Order of Reborn Poland and the ‘Best Polish Athlete’ title in 1972.

PHOTO SOURCE: olympiaclub.de

Our belated tribute to John Marzano, American baseball player turned baseball analyst who was part of the U.S. baseball team which won the silver medal during the 1984 Olympic Games.

Here’s the AP report on Manzano’s death: Former major leaguer John Marzano died Saturday after falling down a flight of stairs at his home. He was 45. The cause of his death was not immediately clear, police said.

Marzano was from Philadelphia and had been working for Major League Baseball’s Web site, where he co-hosted a show on weekday mornings.

“John was a beloved member of our team, a personable, terrific friend to all with whom he worked,” said Bob Bowman, chief executive officer of MLB Advanced Media. “He was an engaging, informed interviewer. His energy, knowledge of the game and comedic touch produced admirable results. We miss him dearly already.”

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