NewsLocal News

Actions

Steamboat Stinger mountain bike racer, from Littleton, died of heart attack, coroner says

Posted at 11:57 AM, Aug 14, 2019
and last updated 2019-08-14 13:57:35-04

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado authorities have determined that a 45-year-old man who died during a mountain bike race last weekend suffered a heart attack.

The Steamboat Pilot & Today reports that Andrew Balika, of Littleton, collapsed about 2:30 p.m. Saturday during the 50-mile (80.4-kilometer) Steamboat Stinger mountain bike race in a remote area of Emerald Mountain.

Authorities say Balika had stopped to rest on a bench near an aid station and was talking to a race coordinator when he fell over. Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.

Routt County Coroner Rob Ryg said an autopsy done on Monday concluded that Balika was the victim of a "sudden cardiac death."

___

Information from: Steamboat Pilot & Today, http://steamboatpilot.com/