Heart problems claimed life of cycling star, 15

Lewis Barry was just 15 and had hopes of breaking into the national road racing team when he died at his home in Garforth, Leeds, in June this year.

He had previously been seen by a heart specialist for an irregular pulse but Lewis had been told that apart from a slightly enlarged heart – normal for an athlete – he was in good health and could continue training.

A pathologist said the cause of death could not be determined but cardiac experts said it was possible that a problem with electrical activity in Lewis's heart could have caused it to stop.

The hearing in Leeds was told that Lewis was very fit but suffered with mild asthma and at the time of his death was taking anti-histamines for hay fever.

He had also recently suffered from suspected swine flu but cardiac experts could find no link between antihistamines, or the flu, and his death.

Coroner David Hinchliff said the most likely explanation was that something had interfered with the normal beating mechanism of Lewis's heart while he was asleep.

He said Lewis had not complained about feeling unwell and had completed a training ride the night before he died.

"That would suggest that he was quite fit and well, with no problems or symptoms. It probably suggests something electrical is the likely explanation. There was no warning to herald it," Mr Hinchliff said.

Lewis's father Mark, himself a former champion cyclist, told the court that when he found his son in bed there were no signs that he had been in any distress and it appeared he was asleep. Dr Gordon Williams, consultant cardiologist, said he had seen Lewis in December 2008 but no specific heart abnormality had been found.

He said a slightly enlarged heart was discovered but this was compatible with the exercise he was doing.

After Lewis's death, his parents told Dr Williams that two great-great-uncles had died fairly young but it was not known what had caused their deaths.

Two or three days before Lewis died, his parents noticed he was sleeping more than usual and one day he came home from school and slept for about five hours, which may have been the result of him taking anti-histamines.

Dr Williams said electrical abnormalities in the heart can be "unmasked" by a "long list" of drugs, including some antibiotics and antihistamines.

He said a condition called long QT syndrome, in which the recharging of the heart's electrical system after each beat is longer than normal, may be to blame for the tragedy.

Dr Williams said one antihistamine drug was banned due to its association with sudden deaths but it would be "speculative " to suggest a link in Lewis's case because no proof had been found.

Mr Hinchliff said it appeared that there was nothing wrong structurally or mechanically with Lewis's heart and the most likely explanation was a disturbance in the heart's electrical activity.

He added that long QT syndrome had been raised as a possibility but no-one could be sure that this was the cause.

Mr Hinchliff said it was "highly likely" that Lewis's death was cardiac in nature. He recorded a verdict that a sudden, unexplained cardiac event had caused his death.

Outside the court Lewis's parents Mark and Carol, both former champion cyclists, paid tribute to their son.

Mr Barry said: "The remarkable thing about Lewis was the way he supported others and never showed any jealousy of his contemporaries' success... he was a free spirit."

Mrs Barry said: "He was very loving and affectionate. Even at 15 he was happy to snuggle on the sofa with us; that's our biggest loss. He was a very genuine person."

Tragedy inspires help for charity

Friends and family of Lewis Barry have rallied to support two charities, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and the Dave Rayner Fund, which helps ambitious riders make a successful career from cycling on the Continent.

Lewis's father Mark said: "We are supporting CRY and the Dave Rayner Fund, which was set up in memory of a friend of mine who was killed outside a nightclub and who was an international racing cyclist. The fund was set up to help young British cyclists. We think this is what Lewis would have wanted. He would have wanted us to support his friends and others to achieve their goals."

Mr Barry said his son hoped to cycle for his country. "He was very much a team player and revelled in team events."

The remarkable thing about Lewis was the way he supported others and never showed any jealousy.