1 month ago
34
Double Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier has died at the age of 31 following a tragic mountaineering accident.
The former biathlete was struck by falling rocks at an altitude of around 5,700 metres at Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountains in Pakistan on Monday.
Dahlmeier’s mountaineering partner alerted rescue services about the incident and an international rescue team was dispatched to the area.
However, a helicopter only reached the remote site on Tuesday morning, and rescue workers then struggled to reach the German due to the risk of further rockfall.
The search for Dahlmeier continued on Wednesday, when she was found dead.
Dahlmeier won two gold medals and a bronze in biathlon at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang and is also a seven-time world champion. She retired in 2019.
Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has died aged 31 in a mountaineering accident
Dahlmeier had been hit by falling rocks when on a mountain climb in the Karakoram Mountains in Pakistan on Monday
Dahlmeier's management company issued a statement saying it could be assumed that she had died immediately and issued a tribute to a 'wonderful person'
A statement from her management company read: ‘Based on the findings from the helicopter overflight and the rope partner's description of the severity of her injuries, it can be assumed that Laura Dahlmeier died immediately.
‘Recovering the body is too risky for the rescue workers under the current difficult conditions with rockfall and a change in the weather on Laila Peak and is not feasible.
‘Her wish was to leave her body on the mountain in this case. This is also in the interest of her relatives, who also expressly request that Laura's final wishes be respected.
‘We bid farewell to a wonderful person. Laura enriched our lives and the lives of many with her warm and straightforward manner.
‘She showed us that it's worth standing up for your own dreams and goals and always staying true to yourself.
‘We are deeply grateful, dear Laura, that we were allowed to share in your life. Our shared memories give us strength and courage to continue on our path.’
The German Olympic Sports Confederation led the tributes for Dahlmeier, who was the first female biathlete in history to win sprint and pursuit events at the same Olympics.
Dahlmeier won two gold medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea
‘With heavy hearts, we bid farewell to Laura Dahlmeier,’ they said in a statement.
‘Her sudden death leaves us stunned. She was more than an Olympic champion – she was a person with heart, attitude and vision. Your story will live on, Laura.’
