The German champion of Olympic biathlon Laura Dahlmeier died after a mountaineering accident in Pakistan, confirmed her management on Wednesday.
The accident occurred around noon on Monday, at an altitude of approximately 5,700 meters in Laila Peak, the Alpine club in Pakistan said on Tuesday.
Dahlmeier climbed with her mountaineering partner when she was struck by a sudden fall in rock in the Hushe valley, which is part of the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan. Bad weather conditions have prevented a rescue helicopter from reaching the site.
“Laura Dahlmeier died on July 28 in a mountain accident on Laila Peak (6,069 meters) in the Pakistani chain of Karakoram,” said her representatives in Germany Die newspaper.
“A recovery operation was launched but finally canceled in the evening of July 29.”
Dahlmeier, 31 years old, retired from biathlon in 2019, at the age of 25, a year after having become the first female biathlete to make a sprint and a double prosecution at the same Olympic Games.
The Confederation of German Olympic Sports has expressed deep sadness to the news.
“She was more than an Olympic champion – she was someone with heart, attitude and vision,” said in a press release on X.
Dahlmeier, who was born in the Bavarian ski town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, was also honored by the premiere of his country of origin, Markus Soeder.
“Laura Dahlmeier embodied her native Bavaria in the best sense of the word: she was ambitious and successful, but still remained humble and close to her homeland,” he said in a statement.
“Even after her active career, she shared her love for sport as a winter sports expert, member of the Mountain Rescue Service and Ski Guide.”
