How Did Angel Fournier Die? First Cuban Medallist Cause of Death Explained
Ángel Fournier Rodríguez, the best Cuban rower in history, has passed away on March 16 at the age of 34.
How Did Angel Fournier Rodriguez Die?
The first Cuban medalist in world jousting, who obtained the title of the South Korean World Championship was no more.
Ángel Fournier Rodríguez, the best rower in the history of Cuba, died this Thursday in the United States at the age of 35 due to a heart attack. His death was confirmed by the Cuban Rowing Federation.
World Rowing has also released the statement on the passing of Fournier on their Facebook page.
The statement reads, “World Rowing is saddened to hear of the passing of Cuban rower Angel Fournier Rodriguez.
Fournier Rodriguez was a multiple-time World Cup medallist, Pan American Games Champion, and two-time Olympian
World Rowing wishes to extend its condolences to Angel’s family, the Cuban Rowing Federation, and all rowing fans around the world.”
Who was Angel Fournier Rodriguez?
Angel Fournier Rodriguez was born on December 31, 1987, in Caimanera in Guantánamo. At the first Alba Games in Havana in 2005, Fournier displayed his exceptional rowing abilities by taking home a silver trophy while still a young man.
He came in sixth place during his Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 due to a tactical mistake. He had previously finished twelve in Beijing 2008. In 2014 and 2017, Fournier was selected as one of Cuba’s top 10 competitors.
His extensive record includes gold medals in 2011, 2015, and 2019 Pan American Games and the 2015 World Cup in Slovenia, although perhaps his great debt was in the Olympic Games.
The best Cuban rower in history was seventh in the single sculls in London in 2012. The following year, he won the silver medal at the World Rowing Championships. He ranked sixth in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 in the open category.
He earned silver in the single sculls at the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Florida. Fournier left the national team in 2020 and settled in the United States.
Angel Fournier Rodriguez Cause of Death
Angel Fournier Rodriguez died of a heart attack on March 16, 2023. His death was confirmed by Cuban Rowing Federation.
The Cuban Rowing Federation today stated its condolences to the deceased rower’s family and friends.
“It is a hard blow for all of us who knew him. We send our condolences to family and friends from the Federation to which he belonged,” said National Rowing Commissioner Angel Luis Garcia.
Fournier requested his departure from the Cuban team in 2020. He intended to restart his career in Dallas, Texas, where he was training and “losing weight,” according to an interview provided to CiberCuba in January.
He admitted that in 2019 “I went through a cardiovascular difficulty, but I had already overcome it; after that, I won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in Lima and a bronze medal at the World Cup in Poland,” despite his assurance that he did not seek sick leave due to health issues.
Fournier was married to Yusmary Mengana, three-time Pan American champion, World Cup medalist, with whom he had two children, Ángel Lázaro and Natalia, aged 2 and 5.