Two-time Olympic gold medalist and renowned German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier has died in a tragic climbing accident in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountains.
The 31-year-old athlete was struck by falling rocks during a high-altitude expedition on Monday. The climbing tragedy occurred at approximately 5,700 metres (18,700 feet).
German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier’s climbing partner, Marina Eva, immediately alerted emergency services after the incident.
Laura Dahlmeier, an experienced mountaineer, had been climbing in the region since June and was attempting to reach Laila’s summit with a partner when falling rocks struck her.
Rescue teams from Germany and the U.S. began searching for Laura Dahlmeier after the accident, but severe weather hampered their efforts.
Her management confirmed on Wednesday that she died in the climbing tragedy, likely on July 28.
“It was Laura Dahlmeier’s express and written will that in a case like this, no one should risk their life to recover her,” they said.
The German Olympic Sports Confederation remembered her as more than an Olympic champion, calling her a woman of heart, courage, and vision.
Laura Dahlmeier clinched gold in the sprint and pursuit biathlon events and bronze in the individual race at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. She played a key role in popularizing biathlon in Germany. She secured five golds at the 2017 World Championships in Hochfilzen, winning seven world titles overall.
