IFBB Pro League Bodybuilder Kevin Gebhardt Dies at 31

The bodybuilding community is struck by the passing of another young athlete with a bright future. On May 26, 2024, news spread across social media of the unexpected death of German bodybuilder Kevin Gebhardt.

As of the time of this article’s publication, no official cause of death has been released.

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A post shared by Kevin Gebhardt (@kevingebhardt_)

According to NPC News Online, Gebhardt earned his pro card with the International Federation of Bodybuilding & Fitness (IFBB) on Sep. 29, 2018, during the 2018 EVLS Prague Pro Qualifier.

Gebhardt’s last social media post from Apr. 26, 2024, revealed that Gebhardt had undergone surgical intervention to repair a torn tendon (Gebhardt did not specify which, though he mentioned it was near or within his knee). “Time heals all the breaks!” Gebhardt remarked at the time.

Gebhardt’s last bodybuilding contest was the 2021 EVLS Prague Pro on Nov. 6, 2021, where he placed 10th:

Kevin Gebhardt Bodybuilding Career

2021 EVLS Prague Pro: 10th

2021 KO Egypt Pro: 9th

2021 Yamamoto Cup Pro: 10th

2018 EVLS Prague Showdown: 12th

2018 EVLS Prague Qualifier: 1st

The Community Reacts

News of Gebhardt’s death spread rapidly online in the hours and days after it was originally announced. As of May 28, comments mourning Gebhardt’s passing coat his various social media posts.

Bodybuilder Regan Grimes paid Gebhardt his condolences on social media, saying, “RIP KEVIN” Prolific bodybuilding coach Milos Sarcev, a friend of Gebhardt’s, penned a tribute of his own:

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A post shared by Milos Sarcev (@milossarcev)

“We have lost another brother of iron,” Sarcev said in an Instagram post on May 26. “I knew Kevin since his amateur days in 2018 … [Gebhardt] was a super sweet person, super passionate about bodybuilding, and very hard worker.”

Sarcev added that in his last correspondence with Gebhardt sometime in 2023, Gebhardt mentioned wanting to compete in regional bodybuilding shows that year. Gebhardt opted not to enter contest prep after returning from an extended bout of travel to train alongside Sarcev and other pros like Dorian Yates.