Sports competitions since ancient times witnessed tragic events and painful endings, and some sources say that the Athenian runner Phidippides died of fatigue during the marathon in 490 BC.

And in the modern era, sports fans on television have followed some live deaths on the pitch.

The "Sports Show" blog says - in a report - that the presence of medical staff and ambulance teams ready to deal with emergency cases during sporting events reduces the risks and sudden accidents for athletes, but does not prevent deaths during competitions.

The report reviews a number of famous accidents in which athletes died during or immediately after matches:

1. Ray Chapman

American baseball player Ray Chapman was the star player of the Cleveland Indians for many years, and is the only player in Major League Baseball to die from an injury while playing.

This tragic accident occurred during a game against the New York Yankees at the Polo Grounds on August 16, 1920, when he was hit in the head by a throw by Karl Mays of the Yankees.

Chapman died in a New York City hospital 12 hours after the accident.

This day in baseball 1920

Indians shortstop Ray Chapman suffers a fractured skull when he is hit in the head by a fastball thrown by Yankee submariner Carl Mays.

Chapman will die shortly before daybreak tomorrow, becoming the first on-field player fatality in MLB.#indians pic.twitter.com/Lev143CWrZ

— Bubba on Baseball (@bubbaonbaseball) August 16, 2020

2. Antonio Puerta

Antonio Puerta played in the Spain national under-21 and under-23 team, and represented Sevilla as a midfielder and left winger, and won 5 titles during his career with the club.

Puerta faced a series of heart attacks during a La Liga match against Getafe on August 25, 2007, and died 3 days later from a defect in the right ventricle caused by an irregular heartbeat.

3. Kim Duk Koo

South Korean boxer Kim Duk Koo won 17 matches out of 20, including 8 by knockout, and he died after a World Boxing Championship match against Ray Mancini on November 13, 1982. Referee Richard Green stopped the fight after Koo hit the ropes due to Mancini's punches Strong and taken to hospital, he developed a subdural hematoma consisting of 100 cubic centimeters of blood in the skull, and died 4 days after the match.

4. Frank Hayes

American jockey Frank Hayes was a horse trainer and champion during the first two decades of the 20th century, but he suffered a fatal heart attack in Belmont Park, New York, in the United States of America, during his participation in the steeplechase on June 4, 1923.

Hayes' heartbeat stopped while he was riding, but his body remained on the saddle throughout the race, and it was later established that he apparently died sometime in the middle of the race.

The horse crossed the finish line in the lead while Hayes was dead on his back, making him the only posthumous jockey to win a race. Hayes' horse has been nicknamed "The Sweet Kiss of Death".

In 1923, Frank Hayes became the first jockey ever to win a horse race despite being dead.

He died from a heart attack mid-race.

Somehow, his body stayed strapped onto the horse, and he crossed the finish line in first place, beating the 20-1 odds.

#MythAndFact pic.twitter.com/cfXe72tV72

— MYTH AND FACT (@MythAndFact) June 24, 2020

5. Chuck Hughes

Chuck Hughes played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1967 to 1969, and then with the Detroit Lions until 1971. He is the only American football player to die on the field during a game.

Hughes suffered a fatal heart attack during the final minutes of a game against the Chicago Bears at Tiger Stadium in Detroit on October 24, 1971.

Bear linebacker Dick Butkus and two referees stand over Lions wide receiver Chuck Hughes, who literally fell dead of a heart attack after a play on October 24 1971. He was 28 years-old, and to this day is the only NFL player to die on the field during a game.

#NFL #NFL100 pic.twitter.com/hQ0fIC8W62

— From the 55 (@CFLAmerica) November 30, 2019

6. Reggie Lewis

American basketball player Reggie Lewis played for the Boston Celtics in the NBA from 1987 to 1993, and was named Eastern Region Player of the Year 3 times.

Lewis died of sudden cardiac arrest on the basketball court on July 27, 1993, during training.

7. Bill Masterton

Canadian-American Bill Masterton is the only player to die on the field as a result of injuries he sustained during an American Hockey League match.

Masterton suffered a severe brain injury during a game against the Oakland Seals on January 13, 1968.

Masterton's collision with Larry Kahan and Ron Harris caused him to bleed from his nose, ears and mouth, and he received emergency medical treatment in the dressing room, then he was transferred to Fairview Southdale Hospital, but he died on January 15, 1968, about 30 hours after the tragic accident.

8. Marc-Vivien Foe

Former Cameroon international footballer Marc-Vivien Foe played 64 caps and played for well-known clubs such as West Ham United, Olympique Lyonnais and Manchester City.

Foe died during the 2003 Confederations Cup when Cameroon faced Colombia in the semi-finals at Guerlain stadium in Lyon on June 26, 2003. Marc collapsed in the midfield circle and died during the 72nd minute of the match due to an enlarged heart.

9. Dale Earnhart

American racing driver Dale Earnhart is considered one of the best NASCAR drivers of all time, and was nicknamed "The Terrifying" for his aggressive driving style.

Earnhart had a tragic accident on the last lap while driving at the 2001 Daytona 500 and died on February 18 of a fractured skull base.

10. Ayrton Senna

Brazilian Ayrton Senna is considered one of the greatest drivers in the history of "Formula 1", and he has climbed to the podium on 3 occasions.

Senna died during the San Marino Grand Prix from 28 April to 1 May 1994, when he had a tragic accident on lap seven when he rushed in a straight line off the track and crashed into a concrete wall at 233 km per hour.