U.S. wrestler Alan Vera, a prominent member of the Greco-Roman national team, passed away on Monday night after suffering from sudden cardiac arrest earlier this year.
He was 33 years old.
Vera had been hospitalized for several weeks following the cardiac event, which occurred during a soccer game with friends in Jersey City, New Jersey on July 29.
Despite initial hopes for recovery, complications arose over the weekend when an unexpected infection took hold, according to a GoFundMe page set up to support Vera’s family.
In a heartfelt statement, USA Wrestling executive director Rich Bender expressed the deep sadness felt by the wrestling community:
Our hearts have been broken. Our sincere thoughts and prayers go out to Elena, Alina and all of Alan’s family, as well as those who have known Alan.
The wrestling community mourns the loss of a great champion, whose incredible life impacted so many within USA Wrestling and around the world.
Born in Cuba, Vera was a four-time Cuban national champion and won a Pan American title in 2016 before immigrating to the United States later that year.
After pursuing U.S. citizenship, he became eligible to represent Team USA and quickly made his mark, competing in the world championships in 2021 and 2022. He spent four years on the U.S. Greco-Roman national team.
Although Vera secured a quota spot for the Paris 2024 Olympics by performing at a qualifying event in Mexico, he narrowly missed out on earning the right to fill that spot – finishing second to Josef Rau at the U.S. Olympic trials earlier this year.
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