[Sudden death in athletes].

In France, about one of ten thousand athletes die suddenly each year. Although this is a small proportion of the number of total deaths, it is a striking one because of the subjects it concern e.g: healthy and physically trained. Age is the major determinant cause of sudden death: coronary heart disease in victims over 35 years, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, congenital disease and aortic rupture before. Positive predictive value of usual tests is given; high value of echocardiography is to be noted, in comparison with low value of the traditional stress test for detection of subjects at risk.