The Women’s Physique competitor died weeks after placing 13th at Mr. Olympia following a championship season in professional bodybuilding.
PUNTA ARENAS, Chile — Professional bodybuilder Marianne von Gierke, one of Chile’s leading Women’s Physique competitors, died Wednesday at age 40, only weeks after competing at Mr. Olympia in Las Vegas, according to Chilean bodybuilding organizations and local media.
NPC Worldwide Chile announced von Gierke’s death on Oct. 14 and paid tribute to her career in the sport. Chilean outlet ADN Radio reported that she died during the early hours of Wednesday in Punta Arenas, in the country’s southern Magallanes region. A cause of death had not been publicly disclosed as of Friday, and no authoritative source reviewed for this report identified a medical condition or other circumstance responsible for her death.
Von Gierke had recently completed one of the strongest seasons of her professional career. Official IFBB Professional League results show she placed 13th in the Women’s Physique division at the 2026 Olympia. The competition was her second appearance on bodybuilding’s biggest stage after she finished 16th in the same division in 2024.
Her Olympia appearance followed a major victory at the 2026 Rising Phoenix competition. Official IFBB Pro results list von Gierke in first place in the Women’s Physique Open division, ahead of an international field of competitors. The victory earned her one of the most prominent titles of her career and capped a season in which she also competed at the Texas Pro.
Von Gierke’s professional career began after she earned her pro status in 2021 at an NPC Worldwide competition in Orlando, according to reporting from Radio Polar in her home region. She had competed in bodybuilding for years before reaching the professional ranks. In 2024, she won the Vancouver Island Pro in Canada, helping secure her first qualification for the Olympia.
Her second Olympia appearance in 2026 represented another step forward. Official results show her finishing three places higher than she had during her 2024 debut. Her Rising Phoenix victory earlier in the season also placed her among the division’s leading competitors and made her a prominent figure in Chile’s professional bodybuilding community.
Outside competition, von Gierke worked as a trainer and maintained an active social media presence focused on bodybuilding and fitness. Reports said she remained active online shortly before her death, including sharing a message recognizing another athlete’s physical transformation. She had also recently written publicly about the support she received from her longtime partner, Juan Cofré García, during the demands of contest preparation and travel.
Reports from several outlets said von Gierke was the mother of an 11-year-old son. In its tribute, NPC Worldwide Chile remembered her for her discipline, accomplishments and influence on other athletes. Local coverage in Magallanes also described her as an important figure for aspiring competitors in the region and noted the attention her appearances at the Olympia brought to Chilean bodybuilding.
Her death prompted tributes across the bodybuilding community shortly after it was announced. Fellow competitors and organizations highlighted her progression from regional competition to the professional stage and her two appearances at the Olympia. Chilean newspaper Folha de S.Paulo also reported that fellow bodybuilder Felipe Isaac Fierro announced her death alongside the Chilean NPC organization.
Authorities and bodybuilding organizations had not publicly released additional information about the circumstances of von Gierke’s death as of Friday. With no confirmed cause announced, reports connecting her death to her training, competition schedule or any medical condition remain unsupported. Her most recent official competitive result remained her 13th-place finish at the 2026 Olympia.
Author note: Last updated October 16, 2026.