42 Athletes That Died Before 40

NBA | February 16, 2021

Steve Prefontaine

Long-distance running was not the most popular sport back in the 1970s, but thanks to Steve Prefontaine, it was more popular in North America than ever before. Prefontane competed for the United States at the Olympics in 1972 although he did not earn a medal.

Prefontane did, however, set numerous records for U.S. runners throughout his career. Before he even had a chance at the 1976 Olympics, Prefontaine was killed in 1975 in a crash caused by a drunken driver. He was 24 years old.