Female bodybuilder, 40, mysteriously dies weeks after competing in Mr Olympia
Chilean bodybuilder Marianne Gierke died aged 40, two weeks after competing in the Women’s Physique category at Mr Olympia in Las Vegas. Her death was announced by Chile’s National Physique Committee, which praised her dedication and contribution to bodybuilding; no cause of death was given.
Gierke had won the Women’s Physique Division at the Rising Phoenix competition in August and placed 13th at Mr Olympia. She is survived by her 11-year-old son and partner. The article cites a study of 9,447 bodybuilding deaths in which sudden cardiac arrest was the most common cause, accounting for 31 per cent; it also describes the physical demands and health risks associated with competition preparation.
- Marianne Gierke died aged 40, two weeks after competing at Mr Olympia.
- She won the Rising Phoenix Women’s Physique Division in August.
- Her cause of death has not been announced.
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Women’s Physique is a bodybuilding category in which competitors are judged on muscular development, balance and presentation. Mr Olympia is a major annual bodybuilding competition, while Rising Phoenix is another event for women athletes.
Marianne Gierke was a Chilean competitor who had won her division at Rising Phoenix and later placed 13th at Mr Olympia. Bodybuilding preparation can involve demanding training and strict changes to diet, but the risks vary between individuals; research into deaths among bodybuilders has identified sudden cardiac arrest as a commonly reported cause.