Collapse on stage

Mateusz Chmura, 33, from Wakefield, collapsed while competing in the Classic Bodybuilding Medium category at the PCA British Finals on Sunday, 18 October. The Physical Culture Association (PCA) hosted the event at the Telford International Centre in England. Paramedics, local ambulance staff and a Midlands Air Ambulance crew attended him before he was taken to hospital, where he later died. Il Fatto Quotidiano reports that one rescuer began cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately and that an ambulance and an air ambulance attended the venue. He had been performing in front of spectators and fellow athletes when his routine was cut short.

Contest resumed

Accounts differ on how the competition continued. The Independent reports that the PCA halted the contest while Chmura received treatment and restarted it after meeting the remaining athletes. Il Fatto Quotidiano reports instead that organisers met competitors while he was still in hospital and chose to resume the event before news of his death had emerged. According to the same outlet, the organisers asked people to avoid speculating about the circumstances while awaiting confirmed information. Il Fatto also says the PCA's later message recognised the work of doctors, volunteers and spectators who responded to the emergency.

Statement and debut

In a statement released on Monday, 19 October, the PCA confirmed his death and wrote:

“Our deepest condolences go to his wife, family, friends and everyone who knew and loved him.”

The organisation asked for the privacy of his relatives to be respected and said the events had been deeply distressing for everyone present. It also urged people not to struggle with the experience alone. On 4 October, Chmura took second place at the PCA First Timers show in Yorkshire, two weeks before the British Finals. He would have turned 34 on Monday, 19 October. Articles report that he had married two months before his death and that he and his wife had trained together less than 48 hours before the collapse.

Unauthorised fundraiser

Patrycja Chmura, his wife, has warned the public against an unauthorised online fundraiser that claims to collect money for the family. Writing on her late husband's Instagram page, she made her position plain:

“I want to make it clear that I have nothing to do with this fundraiser.”

She said she had not agreed to the campaign's creation and had not authorised anyone to accept donations for her or her family. She urged people not to give money to it. Any legitimate campaign, she added, would be announced through an official channel if the family decided to launch one. She also thanked supporters for their messages of sympathy.

What remains unknown

No official cause of death has been announced. The reports available describe a collapse on stage and treatment by several emergency teams, but none establishes why Chmura collapsed. The PCA has asked people to avoid speculating about the circumstances while confirmed information is awaited. The family has asked for privacy, and his wife has asked the public not to donate to the unofficial fundraiser.