Grant Wahl’s Widow Releases Autopsy Results And Closes Book On Foul Play As Cause Of Death

The entire sports world was stunned on Friday night upon hearing the news that long-time sports journalist Grant Wahl had collapsed and died at the World Cup.

Grant Wahl was one of the most well-respected journalists in his field and thousands upon thousands of colleagues and people whose lives he touched came forward to share stories of the impact he had on their lives.

Grant Wahl’s widow, Dr. Céline Gounder, revealed the results of her late husband’s autopsy and Grant Wahl’s cause of death in a letter to his fans on Wednesday. The letter was published on Grant’s substack and began with a thank you to everyone who has reached out to the family in support after their loss.

Grant Wahl’s cause of death was revealed as an “undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium.” Dr. Céline Gounder went on to explain the chest pain Grant Wahl was reportedly feeling before his sudden collapse and death could have been the initial symptoms.

Her full explanation reads:

An autopsy was performed by the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office. Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium. The chest pressure he experienced shortly before his death may have represented the initial symptoms. No amount of CPR or shocks would have saved him. His death was unrelated to COVID. His death was unrelated to vaccination status. There was nothing nefarious about his death.

Here is his widow, Dr. Céline Gounder, explaining Grant Wahl’s cause of death on CBS Mornings:

In this interview with Peter King, Dr. Gounder explains this is a condition that was growing for many years undetected:

When Grant Wahl suddenly collapsed and died in Qatar the first question on many people’s minds was ‘what was the cause of death?’ The political climate in Qatar and Grant having recently been denied entry into a USMNT game because of his rainbow/pro-LGBTQ shirt, and because Eric Wahl, Grant Wahl’s brother, immediately called for an investigation:

Grant Wahl’s brother Eric has since announced he no longer suspects foul play as Grant Wahl’s cause of death after the autopsy results came back:

Dr. Céline Gounder’s note on substack is very touching. I’d encourage everyone to read it. This portion must’ve been very difficult to put pen to paper but it captures the essence of Grant Wahl:

While the world knew Grant as a great journalist, we knew him as a man who approached the world with openness and love. Grant was an incredibly empathetic, dedicated, and loving husband, brother, uncle, and son who was our greatest teammate and fan. We will forever cherish the gift of his life; to share his company was our greatest love and source of joy. Grant curated friends from all cultures and walks of life, for whom he was a generous listener, an enthusiast, a champion of others. To know Grant was to know a true renaissance man; he was endlessly curious about the world, and a lover of literature, art, music, food, and wine. He was equally in his element cooking a quiet dinner of sole provencal for two, walking his beloved Zizou and Coco through Manhattan, gathering friends for a raucous dinner party, and traipsing across Moldova chasing a story.

For those who want to take this moment as an opportunity to learn, the Mayo Clinic has a comprehensive explanation of Aortic Aneurysms, the symptoms to look out for, and what causes them.