Grant Wahl died of a heart aneurysm while covering a World Cup match in Qatar last weekend, the autopsy carried out on the renowned American soccer journalist has revealed.
Wahl’s wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, said Wednesday that the autopsy was performed at the New York City Coroner’s Office.
“Grant died of the slow rupture of an undetected ascending aortic aneurysm, complete with hemopericardium,” she wrote on her husband’s website, referring to the membrane that covers the heart. The chest pressure he must have felt shortly before his death may have been a warning sign. Resuscitation techniques and the use of a defibrillator would not have changed anything. His death is not associated with COVID-19. His death is not linked to his vaccination status. There was nothing unusual that could have caused his death. »
Wahl, who was 49, collapsed while in the press box at Lusail Stadium in Qatar early on Saturday during extra time in the quarter-final match between Argentina and the Netherlands. First responders came to his rescue immediately and treated him for 20 to 30 minutes before evacuating him on a stretcher, reported reporters who witnessed the scene.
His body was later repatriated to New York.
Wahl worked for the magazine Sports Illustrated from 1996 to 2001, particularly for its coverage of American soccer and college basketball. He then launched his website, Futbol with Grant Wahl, and a podcast show with Meadowlark Media.
Wahl also worked for Fox Sports between 2012 and 2019, and he was hired by CBS Sports in 2021 as an analyst and editorial adviser. His wife has indicated that a ceremony in his honor will be organized soon.
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