Grant Wahl’s widow arranges independent autopsy after death at World Cup

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Grant Wahl’s widow, Dr. Céline R. Gounder, arranged for an independent autopsy in New York City after his sudden death during the World Cup.
• His brother, Eric, previously wondered if there was foul play since the journalist openly criticized the Qatari government.
• Colleagues claimed there was no defibrillator at the stadium during the emergency.

The sudden death of American sports journalist Grant Wahl during the World Cup has prompted his widow, Dr. Céline R. Gounder, to arrange for an independent autopsy in New York City.

Gounder is an infectious disease physician who works at Bellevue Hospital. She scheduled for Wahl’s body to be brought to a city medical examiner on Monday, sources told The Post.

Wahl’s brother, Eric, previously questioned whether foul play was involved since his brother had been vocal about his criticism of Qatar’s government. Three weeks ago, Grant Wahl shared his experience of being detained by World Cup security staff for wearing a rainbow shirt to the US team’s opening match against Wales.

Wahl and his agent, Tim Scanlan, said that the journalist had been sleeping poorly in the days before his death. Wahl also said on his podcast, “Futbol with Grant Wahl,” that he had been struggling physically after 17 straight days of games. He added that he had visited a clinic and was told he probably had bronchitis.

On Friday, the 49-year-old journalist collapsed while covering the quarter-final game between Argentina and the Netherlands.

Sunday Times correspondent Josh Glancy recalled, “We all turned around to see a man in terrifying distress just behind us, clearly suffering some form of attack or seizure. We bellowed for a medic.”

Glancy said that he “felt momentarily reassured” when the medics came, thinking it could just be a seizure or an allergic reaction. “But they quickly started administering CPR and the entire press box was gripped with anxiety. CPR is a terrible sign. His heart must have stopped,” he continued.

Glancy wondered why there was no available defibrillator “as the medics pumped and pumped to no avail.” He remarked on the absence of an emergency device in a “billion-dollar state-of-the-art stadium, which has a VIP suite so lavish it includes a bedroom.” He added, “Many minutes passed and we kept expecting it to come. But it never did.”

Eric Wahl also noted the absence of a defibrillator, but added, “though it sounds as though it wouldn’t have made a difference, if my understanding of the medical situation is correct.” He later shared that FIFA claimed there were automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at the stadium.

It was not made clear why an AED was not used on Wahl.

Rumors also circulated online that Grant died from a negative reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine. Eric pleaded for people to “stop with the vaccine nonsense,” adding, “it’s an insult to our family as Grant’s wife is an epidemiologist.”

He also later shared that Grant may have “experienced a pulmonary embolism & was in a non-shockable state.”

Source: New York Post