Cuban Olympian Dead After Elective Surgery Procedure

The athletic world was dealt a brutal blow when the death of Maricet Espinosa Gonzalez was announced.

Gonzalez, who was only 34, won the PanAm championships in judo wrestling in 2013 and 2014.

Sadly, Gonzalez passed away after having breast enhancement surgery.

Sad Day

The Cuban athlete’s death was initially announced on Facebook by the Cuban Sports University.

The post stated, "On behalf of our teachers, workers, and students we extend our deepest condolences to their families, friends, and colleagues.”

According to the report, Gonzalez had surgery scheduled on January 21 for breast enhancement, but she suffered complications during the surgery, eventually dying from a heart attack.

Gonzalez, a native of Arroyo Naranjo, was a 2016 Olympian, competing in judo wrestling for Cuba in the Rio de Janeiro games, as well as having won the championships mentioned above.

She competed at 139 pounds, a member of the Cuban national team for a decade before deciding to step away from competition in 2017.

This death comes only a week after another Olympian was reported as passing, with Canadian pole vaulter Shawn Barber having died last week at the age of 29.

Barber won the 2015 world championships after having won the NCAA title for the University of Akron.

This just continues a very disturbing trend of young, world-class athletes dying with heart-related issues.

All throughout last year, it seemed like a college or high school athlete was dropping dead out of nowhere on an almost weekly basis.

That trend has now continued in athletes under the age of 35, yet nobody is asking why this is happening… or perhaps they are just afraid of the answer.