The Regional Attorney General of Warsaw has opened an investigation into the sudden death of Polish Olympic gold-medal-winning hammer thrower Kamila Skolimowska.

Skolimowska passed away suddenly Wednesday night after collapsing during a training session in Portugal. The Warsaw attourney has contacted various Portuguese institutions, including the hospital that treated the athlete, in order to establish the details of the case.

The suddenness of the death has raised many questions concerning the cause – the fit athlete allegedly felt ill on Wednesday in preparation for training, fell unconscious during exercise, regained consciousness, stood on her feet, walked to a waiting ambulance and was then rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, where she again lost consciousness.

The Olympic doctor who treated Polish athletes during the Beijing Summer Olympics, Robert Smigielski, claims that it is an absolute scandal that there were so few doctors on location where the athletes were training.

“If the Polish Track and Field Association (PZLA) were not able to send a doctor from Poland [with the athletes], they should have at least secured a Portuguese doctor. A doctor would not allow someone who has fainted to stand up on their feet and be taken somewhere,” Smigielski scolds.

The doctor added that Kamila reported the day before that her calves pained her and she was experiencing shortness of breath.

“The doctor that treated her was neglectful because those are very serious signals that can lead to complications. It could mean something very deep-rooted. Every movement could, in such a case, lead to tragedy,” Smigielski added.

The PZLA maintains that they do not send doctors with every group of athletes that travels for training, especially considering that there were only a few throwers at the Portuguese training camp. Reportedly, there were only four doctors on site.

A memorial mass is taking place today in Warsaw’s Capuchin Friar’s Church on Miodowa Street.

Kamila Skolimowska was born in Warsaw in 1982, the daughter of Robert Skolimowski, a well known weightlifter. She won the Olympic gold in Sidney before her 18th birthday.

Four years later, in Athens, she was placed fifth. She was also successful at the European championships, winning the silver medal in 2002 and the bronze in 2006. She was Poland’s national hammer throw champion twelve times. (mmj)