Steven Holcomb, an Olympic gold medalist bobsledder, was found dead Saturday morning in his room at the Training Center in Lake Placid, New York. He was 37 years old.
News of his death came from a statement by the United States Olympic Committee, which gave no information about the cause. The Associated Press said foul play is not suspected. And The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation (IBSF) said Holcomb was found to have passed away in his sleep.
An autopsy is tentatively scheduled for Sunday.
At the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Holcomb helped steer the U.S. to its first Olympic bobsledding gold in more than 60 years, when he piloted a four-man team to victory. Four years later he won bronze in both two-man and four-man bobsled races.
He also won 60 World Cup medals and 10 medals at world championships, reports USA Today.
"Steve was a tremendous athlete and even better person, and his perseverance and achievements were an inspiration to us all," said Scott Blackmun, USOC CEO.
Holcomb wrote about his struggles with alcohol and depression in his autobiography, But Now I See: My Journey from Blindness to Olympic Gold.The book also outlined his 2007 suicide attempt with sleeping pills in a hotel room.
Holcomb had been diagnosed with keratoconus, a degenerative disease, which damaged his vision to the point where he believed his career was over. But he was able to bounce back after eye surgery saved his vision.
At the time of his death, Holcomb remained one of the world's elite drivers, finishing second on the World Cup circuit this past season.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDAxNzg0MDExMDEyMTYyMjc1MDE3NGVmMw004))
