Steve Larsen died of a heart attack, medical examiner reports

Steve Larsen, the versatile endurance athlete who died suddenly May 19 during a running workout near his home in Bend, Oregon, had atherosclerosis — coronary heart disease.

Steve Cross, the medical examiner who conducted the autopsy, said Larsen, 39, died of a heart attack.

Cross told the Bend Bulletin newspaper: “Unfortunately, sometimes the first indication of heart disease is sudden death. Even the most fit person can suffer a heart attack."

Larsen was among the most accomplished endurance athlete in history. He was a professional cyclist in nearly every discipline in the sport and he was an Ironman triathlon winner and Xterra national titlist.

Michael Larsen, 41, of Bend, Steve’s older brother, said the medical examiner's test results were to difficult to accept.

“I’m glad to get the information, although none of it’s good, and it doesn’t make me feel better,” Larsen told the newspaper. “But to have the information is important. To know that your first symptom could be sudden death, it’s important to know that any breath could be your last breath.”

The elder Larsen said his father has an enlarged heart and cardiomyopathy, and that since his brother's death he has made lifestyle changes.

The Web site www.worldtri.com is accepting donations to the Steve Larsen Memorial Fund.

Additional articles about Steve Larsen:

• Steve Larsen: Farewell to an athletic with epic career, lava fields to mountaintops
• Preliminary autopsy suggests Steve Larsen didn't die of heart attack
• Friends and competitors mourn loss of Steve Larsen
• Hundreds gather at Steve Larsen memorials