A Scottish cyclist has died after suffering cardiac arrest in bed, according to his Olympic champion partner who said Wednesday she “tried and tried” to save him.
The death of Rab Wardell was confirmed by Scottish Cycling on Tuesday, days after he won a national mountain bike championship. He was 37.
“We send our love & support to his family, friends & all those in our community who knew him,” the governing body said.
Wardell’s partner, Katie Archibald, who won gold medals for Britain at track cycling at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, said “I still don’t understand what happened; if this is real.”
“He went into cardiac arrest while we were lying in bed,” Archibald wrote on Twitter. “I tried and tried, and the paramedics arrived within minutes, but his heart stopped and they couldn’t bring him back. Mine stopped with it. I love him so much and need him here with me.”
Wardell won the elite men’s title at the Scottish MTB XC Championships on Sunday, overcoming several punctures to win on the final lap. His win was described as a “show of incredible resilience” by British Cycling.
Wardell, a former Commonwealth Games cyclist, appeared on BBC Scotland’s The Nine program on Monday evening, just hours before his death. On the show, he discussed his win on Sunday, BBC News reported.
“To be honest, it was a bit of a disaster, but I just have to keep on trucking and keep racing,” he said. “I guess I still felt confident that I’d be able to catch the leaders and win so I just gave it my best shot – what more can you do?”
