Black Celebs We Lost in 2024

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On Jan. 21. Judo champion and 2016 Olympian, Maricet Espinosa Gonzalez, passed away after suffering a heart attack. According to TMZ, the two-time Pan American Games Champion had surgery shortly before the heart attack, but there’s no word on if the procedure played a role in her death. While representing Cuba, Gonzalez was a two-time Pan American Games gold medalist in 2013 and 2014. Nicknamed “La Mole,” Gonzalez was 34-years-old.

“With deep sadness, we bid farewell to a legend of Pan-American and Cuban Judo. Maricet Espinosa, affectionately known as ‘La Mole’, leaves an indelible legacy,” wrote the Confederación Panamericana de Judo in Spanish on Instagram. “Two-time Pan American Champion, World Medalist, and Olympic Representative in Rio 2016. Rest in peace, our dearest Maricet. Our condolences to [their] family and Cuban judo. Your spirit and your achievements will last forever.”