NEW YORK - A 32-YEAR-OLD Argentine man who died during the New York City Triathlon last summer was killed by a condition linked to high blood pressure, the medical examiner's office said on Tuesday.

Mr Esteban Neira, 32, died in the Hudson River during the swim leg on Jul 20.

The cause was initially a mystery. But after further testing, the medical examiner ruled the cause of death was hypertensive cardiovascular disease.

Triathlon organiser John Korff said Mr Neira, a father of three from Buenos Aires who worked as a consultant for Accenture, apparently was unaware he had the condition.

Hypertensive heart disease is a common killer, but its symptoms sometimes don't appear until someone is dangerously ill. It is most often associated with people who smoke, don't eat right or don't exercise. -- AP