Paul Poloczek, a 37-year-old bodybuilder, died just hours after the NPC Worldwide Championship in Germany.
Poloczek, who was born in Poland but spent most of his life in Germany, leaves behind a wife and young daughter.
“Bodybuilding was your life. You are not forgotten, you live on in our hearts,” his wife, Kathrin DeNev wrote in an Instagram tribute. “We will love you forever.”
A cause of death has not been announced.
According to Fitness Volt, in 2002 Poloczek joined the famous Powerhouse Gym franchise in Oehringen, Germany, eventually becoming its owner.
Poloczek finished second place in the German Championships in the Super-Heavyweight division in 2012. He won the amateur tournament of the Arnold Classic in Ohio in 2017, which qualified Poloczek for his pro card.
Poloczek is the second prominent bodybuilder to die young in recent months.
In April, world-class bodybuilder Cedric McMillan died of a heart attack at age 44.
