TORONTO (AP) — Randy Starkman, a longtime reporter for the Toronto Star known for his wide-ranging coverage of amateur sports, has died. He was 51.
The Star said the two-time National Newspaper Award winner became ill after returning from the Canadian Olympic swimming trials. Diagnosed with pneumonia, he was admitted to hospital last week and died Monday at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.
Olympic champion kayaker Adam van Koeverden wrote in a blog: “Randy didn’t just write about amateur sport, he truly loved it. He was a steadfast devotee. He loved us, and we loved him right back.”
Starkman began his journalism career with United Press Canada. He joined the Toronto Star after the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He covered 12 Olympics, starting with 1984 in Sarajevo.
