Kamila Skolimowska, a renowned Polish potter’s thrower and the 2000 Olympic champion, tragically passed away 15 years ago on February 18, 2009 at the age of 27. The cause of death was identified as a pulmonary embolism which she suffered during the national team’s training camp in Portugal.
According to her mother, Teresa Skolimowska, Kamila had been feeling unwell on the morning of her death and had consequently skipped the morning exercises. Despite this, she had participated in the afternoon exercises where she suddenly fainted.
Her teammates swiftly came to her aid and an ambulance was called. However, Kamila lost consciousness once again and the paramedics had to start resuscitation. She managed to open her eyes once more in the hospital, but soon after she lost consciousness for the final time.
Teresa Skolimowska shared that prior to her death, Kamila had been struggling with severe breathing difficulties. She could barely breathe outside and would frequently faint. The air pollution in Beijing was believed to be the cause of these issues. Despite being given oxygen, no further detailed examinations were conducted.
Upon returning home from China, Kamila’s condition worsened. It was reported that she could barely climb a flight of stairs or speak properly due to her constant gasping for oxygen. She was scheduled to undergo comprehensive tests at the end of February 2009 to identify the exact cause of her breathing problems, but tragically, Kamila passed away four days prior to the scheduled examinations.
Kamila’s parents were taken aback by the lack of action from the doctors at the Beijing Olympics. Despite the presence of numerous doctors, none of them suspected that it could be a blood circulation issue or a blood clot. After her death, around 20 doctors stated that the cause was clearly a pulmonary embolism.
Her father, Robert Skolimowski, a former European weightlifting champion, expressed disappointment in the Beijing Olympic doctors for not conducting a simple blood test. He believes that their negligence robbed Kamila of her chance to live.
