Chilean professional bodybuilder Marianne von Gierke has died at age 40, two weeks after competing against the world’s top Women’s Physique athletes at the 2026 Mr. Olympia contest, according to
NPC Worldwide Chile.
NPC Worldwide Chile announced von Gierke’s death in an Oct. 15 Instagram post, calling her a woman of exceptional strength who brought deep passion to bodybuilding. The organization did not disclose where or when she died or provide a cause of death.
Von Gierke recently realized her goal of reaching the Olympia stage and placed 13th in the Women’s Physique field. The organization said bodybuilding had lost an accomplished athlete whose smile, enthusiasm, and influence would endure.
The Felipe Fierro Classic, an NPC Chile bodybuilding event, also
announced her death on Instagram. According to the event’s statement, von Gierke made a lasting impact through the dedication, discipline and ability that carried her to Mr. Olympia.
The organization said her work and competitive accomplishments would remain part of the sporting community’s memory. It offered condolences to von Gierke’s relatives, friends and others grieving her death.
Von Gierke began her 2026 competitive season with a sixth-place finish at the Texas Pro, according to rankings published by fitness and strength-sports website
Fitness Volt. She later sharpened her contest preparation and delivered stronger results in her final two appearances.
Her breakthrough came when she won the Rising Phoenix Pro title, a
victory that placed her among the division’s most closely watched athletes. She then
finished 13th at Mr. Olympia, improving her standing as expectations grew that she would continue moving up in Women’s Physique.
Von Gierke’s death follows several deaths involving prominent bodybuilders and fitness figures this year.
Internationally recognized bodybuilder and celebrity trainer
Einar Méndez died in September after experiencing a sudden heart attack during a workout in Mexico City. His wife, Yan, said he died at the gym while doing what he loved and described him as strong, resilient, and kind. Méndez, a father of three, had nearly 47,000 social media followers.
Brazilian professional bodybuilder
Mailson Araujo Santos died July 13 at his home in Alagoinhas, Brazil. Santos was 35 and had posted images of his training only hours earlier as he prepared for the Musclecontest Brazil 2026 competition. His cause of death has not been publicly released.
Santos earned professional status with the International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness in April 2023 after capturing the overall amateur Men’s Physique championship at the Arnold Classic South America in São Paulo. He later competed professionally in Brazil while building an Instagram audience of about 32,000 followers.
Earlier this year, Brazilian fitness influencer Gabriel “Bbzinho” Ganley, 22, died May 23 from sudden cardiac death caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Ganley had amassed more than 2.4 million Instagram followers.
