Cause of death released for US women’s college soccer hero
A medical investigation in California has ruled that the death of 22-year-old Stanford captain Katie Meyer, who went viral in 2019 for saving two penalties in vital collegiate game in the United States, was self-inflicted.
Meyer was found dead in a campus dormitory at Stanford University, with a statement from Santa Clara County confirming that her death, while tragic, was not suspicious and that no foul play is suspected.
Specific details of Meyer's death were not made public but the medical examiner called upon US media "to follow the national recommendations for reporting on suicide".
San Jose police released a statement of their own this week, stating that they arrived on the scene at 11.33am local time on Tuesday where they were met by the Palo Alto Fire Department, who had arrived around 45 minutes prior and had pronounced Meyer as being deceased.
Incredibly saddened to hear about Katie. Thinking about all her family, friends, and teammates, right now and hoping they are getting all the love they need and deserve. https://t.co/eIgtmuploH
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) March 2, 2022
Ahhhh. Sending ❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏 to Katie’s family and friends. Heart wrenching. Hug someone close to you. Tell them how much you love them. https://t.co/xFTQ9EtTNA
— Julie Foudy (@JulieFoudy) March 2, 2022
The statement also added that there were no suggestions at the scene that any foul play might have taken place.
Meyer was the team captain of the Stanford Cardinals football team and had led the side to the 2019 national championship, saving the aforementioned two penalties in the national championship game against South Carolina.
The university's women's basketball team marked Meyer's death by wearing her initials on their uniform ahead of their Pac-12 tournament game against Oregon State, while several tributes have also been seen online.
United States national team star Alex Morgan was among the mourners on social media, writing: "Incredibly saddened to hear about Katie. Thinking about all her family, friends, and teammates, right now and hoping they are getting all the love they need and deserve."
ESPN's Julie Foudy added that Meyer's passing was "heart wrenching" while Heather Dyche, the coach of the University of New Mexico women's team, said that Meyer's death was a sad reminder that "everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about".
"Rest In Peace Katie," she said. "If you can be anything in this world, be kind. Check on your friends, tell people you love them, and ask for help."
