Olympic and world champion in biathlon Laura Dahlmeier has passed away at the age of 31, according to her management company.
The German athlete was on a trip in the Karakoram mountains in Pakistan when she suffered severe injuries in an accident. An experienced and certified mountaineer, Dahlmeier was caught in a rockfall around noon on 28 July at an altitude of approximately 5,700 metres, according to her management.
Her mountaineering partner immediately alerted rescue services and an international team was dispatched to the area. However, as the accident took place in a remote area, a helicopter did not reach the site until the morning of 29 July. Rescue workers then struggled to reach the former athlete due to the risk of falling rocks.
Her passing was confirmed on Wednesday, 30 July.
Dahlmeier is a two-time Winter Olympic champion and seven-time world champion in biathlon. With her two gold medals at PyeongChang 2018, she became the first female biathlete in history to win sprint and pursuit events at the same Olympic Games.
She also picked up a bronze in the individual at those Games, despite missing the beginning of the season due to illness.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry paid tribute to Dahlmeier, saying “The news about the passing of two-time Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier in a terrible mountaineering accident is deeply shocking for all of us in the Olympic Movement. She lost her life in her beloved mountains.
“Laura made history at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics as the first female biathlete to win sprint and pursuit gold at the same Games edition. She will be remembered forever. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very difficult time.”
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