Top ironic deaths

Arrhichion

In 564 BC, Arrichion the Wrestler became the only person to win the Olympic gold by dying. Arrichion was a superstar of his age, a nigh-unbeatable wrestling god who went from victory to victory. But one day in the Olympic finals, he finally met his match. Arrichion found himself caught in a deadly ladder hold, a choke move that completely prevented him from breathing. He was out of options: If he wouldn't submit, he'd asphyxiate. Clearly, the only reasonable thing to do was to submit and suffer a loss. However, Arrichion opted for the unreasonable and, in fact, unbelievable. Inspired by the shouts of his coach (who probably didn't realize how dire the situation was), the wrestler rolled into an even more painful position, thus gaining access to the opponent's foot. This brave move ended up killing him, but he was able to twist the other wrestler's foot so painfully that he submitted at the exact same moment Arrichion's life left him. Arrichion had won the Olympic gold, and all it cost him was his life.