Photo: grant wahl/instagram
Grant Wahldiscussed coming down with bronchitis before his death in Qatar on Friday.
The famed sports journalist was covering the FIFA World Cup in Doha, specifically, a match between Argentina and Netherlands, when he collapsed Friday. His cause of death remains unknown, although his brother Eric Wahl has said he suspects it was the result of foul play.
Just a day before, on his Thursday episode of hisFútbol with Grant Wahlpodcast, asESPN points out, the host explained that he hadn’t been feeling his best covering recent matches.
“My body told me, even after the U.S. went out, ‘Dude, you are not sleeping enough,’ and it rebelled on me. So I’ve had a case of bronchitis this week,” he said. “I’ve been to the medical clinic at the media center twice now, including today. I’m feeling better today, I basically canceled everything on this Thursday, that I had, and napped.”
While Wahl said at the time he was doing “slightly better,” he added that his voice hinted at him not being at “100 percent” as he prepared to attend the Friday match.
During the episode, Wahl explained that he’d be attending the Argentina and Netherlands quarter-final, which he was “very excited for.” Before he died, he also had plans to see France and England face off on Saturday.
Similarly, on hisSubstack, Wahl explained that his body “finally broke down on me,” and again detailed the sickness.
“Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,” he wrote. “What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort. I didn’t have Covid (I test regularly here), but I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno.”
Michael Loccisano/Getty
Wahl’s brother Eric previously wrote on Instagram Friday that he suspected foul play after Grant had been detained while wearing a rainbow shirt in Qatar in November.
“My name is Eric Wahl. I live in Seattle, Washington, I am Grant Wahl’s brother,” he said, announcing his brother’s death on Instagram Friday. “I am gay, I am the reason he wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup. My brother was healthy, he told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed, and I just beg for any help.”
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Dr. Céline Gounder, Wahl’s wife since 2001, opened up on Twitter Friday about the “complete shock” she felt hearing the news of his death. “I am so thankful for the support of my husband @GrantWahl’s soccer family & of so many friends who’ve reached out tonight,” Gounder wrote on Twitter. “I’m in complete shock.”
Gounder, an infectious disease expert, physician, and medical journalist — who was previously named one of PEOPLE’s25 Women Changing the Worldin 2017 — married Wahl back in2001after meeting him when theyboth studied at Princetonin the mid-’90s. Together they sharetwo dogs — Coco and Zizou.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino released astatement Saturday morningdetailing his “disbelief and immense sadness” finding out Wahl had died.
source: people.com
