Suicide is the probable cause of death of former Belarusian ice hockey player Konstantin Koltsov, the partner of tennis player Arina Sabalenka, Miami-Dade County police in Florida said.
Konstantin Kolstov and Aryna Sabalenka were a couple for 3 years. Instagram photo
The death of Konstantin Koltsov, at the age of 42, was announced on Tuesday by the Belarusian Ice Hockey Federation, according to which the former sportsman “died suddenly”.
Cops were dispatched to a Miami Beach hotel overnight Monday into Tuesday because “a man jumped from the balcony”said the police spokesperson, Argemis Colome, in an e-mail, writes Agerpres.
“No criminal act is suspected” in this investigation, he added.
On Tuesday, the Belarusian press, cited by the Daily Mail, revealed another version, completely different from the one now offered by the police: that Aryna Sabalenka's boyfriend died from a detached blood clot that blocked a blood vessel. According to Telegraf.News, a blood clot that had formed elsewhere in the body broke off and traveled to a blood vessel in the brain, causing a cerebral embolism.
“He died suddenly. He was a strong and cheerful person, loved and respected by players, colleagues and fans. Konstantin wrote forever in the history of our club”, it is stated in the press release of the Russian hockey group.
Kolţov's partner, Arina Sabalenka, world number 2 in women's tennis, winner of the last two editions of the Australian Open, has not yet made any statement. The 25-year-old player, also Belarusian, is participating this week in the Miami Open tournament (WTA 1,000).
According to the media, Sabalenka will not withdraw from the Miami Open, which starts on Tuesday, but will not participate in press conferences after her matches. Sabalenka is qualified directly in the second round, where she would meet the winner of the match between the Romanian Simona Halep and the Spanish Paula Badosa.
In his career, the Belarusian hockey player played in the North American professional league (NHL), for the Pittsburgh Penguins team. With the Belarusian national team, he was present at two Olympic Games, in Salt Lake City in 2002 and Vancouver in 2010, and at nine editions of the World Championships.
Konstantin Koltsov had three children with his wife, Iulia, whom he divorced in 2020 before starting a relationship with Arina Sabalenka.
