Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) among athletes remains one of the most difficult medical events to predict. Although it is rare, it does occur from time to time, even in young, seemingly healthy athletes. A summary published by Yale School of Medicine in January 2026 provides a comprehensive overview of what may lie behind these cases and what professional tools are available to reduce risk:
https://medicine.yale.edu/internal-medicine/news-article/sudden-cardiac-arrest-in-athletes
During sudden cardiac arrest, the heart’s electrical activity collapses unexpectedly, most often due to ventricular fibrillation. Circulation stops, the affected athlete collapses, and the chance of survival is fundamentally determined by how quickly resuscitation and defibrillation are initiated. Yale experts emphasize that SCA is not the same as a heart attack and is often not preceded by any warning symptoms. The most common underlying causes are congenital or acquired diseases of the heart muscle.
At the same time, in some cases no clear cause can be identified even after thorough medical evaluation, which significantly complicates prevention.
According to the Yale Medicine article, athlete protection rests on three pillars: pre-participation and regular medical screenings, recognition of risk factors, and emergency preparedness at sports facilities. In both the United States and Europe, increasing emphasis is being placed on the availability of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and on CPR training for coaches and teammates. Survival rates improve significantly if care begins within the first minutes after collapse.
Hungarian Sports Medicine Protocol
In Hungary, regulations require competitive athletes over the age of 18 to undergo a screening examination once a year, while those under 18 must be screened twice a year. The goal of the system is to detect potentially dangerous heart conditions before athletes compete. However, international medical literature—and the Yale article also highlights this—emphasizes that sudden cardiac arrest cannot be completely prevented; at best, the risk can be reduced.
György Kolonics
In Hungary, in 2008, György Kolonics, a two-time Olympic champion, fell ill during training and lost consciousness. His partner and coach attempted to keep him alive with chest compressions and artificial respiration, but without success, and the arriving emergency services were also unable to revive him. According to the initial diagnosis, his death was caused by sudden cardiac arrest.
The relevant ministry ordered an investigation to assess whether defibrillators were available at training venues and Olympic training centers where elite athletes are exposed to high physical strain. The investigation found that training camps were equipped with such devices, but, for example, at the Csepel SC water sports facility no defibrillator was available at the time of the tragedy. This tragedy played a significant role in increasing attention in Hungary to cardiac screening of athletes and the development of emergency protocols.
Professional Consensus
According to the summary by Yale School of Medicine, prevention does not depend on a single examination, but requires system-level preparedness, continuous updating of professional knowledge, and rapid response—from sports physicians, coaches, and institutions alike.
Bea Szöőr’s article in hungarian can be found here.
