Steven Holcomb Cause Of Death: Bobsledding Champion Dies At 37

Bobsledding champion Steven Holcomb was found dead Saturday at the age of 37 at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York.

The three-time Olympian was 37 years old and was expected to be part of the United States Olympic team headed to the 2018 Pyeongchang Games in South Korea.

His death was announced by the United States Olympic Committee and USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation but no cause of death was stated. However, there were no indications of foul play after a preliminary investigation was conducted at the athlete’s room at the training center, where his body was found.

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“It would be easy to focus on the loss in terms of his Olympic medals and enormous athletic contributions to the organization, but USA Bobsled & Skeleton is a family and right now we are trying to come to grips with the loss of our teammate, our brother and our friend,” USA Bobsled & Skeleton CEO Darrin Steele said in a statement.

According to the federation, it was believed that the bobsledding champion died in his sleep.

“The only reason why the USA is in any conversation in the sport of bobsled is because of Steve Holcomb,” bobsled pilot Nick Cunningham, who lived next to Holcomb at the training center, was quoted as saying by ABC News. “He was the face of our team. He was the face of our sport. We all emulated him. Every driver in the world watched him, because he was that good at what he did. It's a huge loss, huge loss, not just for our team but for the entire bobsled community.”

Holcomb was a native of Park City, Utah, and rose to fame at the 2010 Vancouver Games where he led the U.S. team to a gold medal in the four-man sled, the first medal in the category for the country in 62 years. During the 2014 Sochi Games, along with a bronze in the four-man event, Holcomb also got together with Steven Langton to win the bronze medal at the two-man event, ending a 62-year medal drought for the country in the category.

Holcomb’s bobsledding victories were the highlight of his comeback after his vision degenerated almost to the point of blindness as he fought a disease called keratoconus. At the time, Holcomb felt his bobsledding career was coming to an end and felt himself slipping into depression.

He also made a failed attempt at committing suicide in 2007, after which he wrote an autobiography. It was titled “But Now I See: My Journey from Blindness to Olympic Gold.”

“Going from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs, it was such a surreal moment,” Holcomb reportedly said after his vision was restored following an operation that turned his 20-500 vision into something close to perfect.

While an autopsy has reportedly been scheduled for Sunday, there is no confirmation for his funeral arrangements, which are expected to be finalized soon.