Several pulmonary conditions were proven to be fatal in athletes. One of these conditions is pulmonary edema in athletes which requires differential diagnosis and often management in the ICU. Pulmonary edema in athletes can develop due to different sport activities including swimming, diving, running, cycling, mountain biking and the etiology and pathophysiology of these conditions may be different. This underlines the importance of pulmonary medicine specialist in the management of acute disease in athletes. The review focuses on pulmonary edema in athletes who participate in aquatic activities, running, cycling and mountain biking.