The German double biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has died days after she was seriously injured by a rockfall on a mountain in northern Pakistan.
The 31-year-old was stranded after an accident at around midday on Monday at an altitude of 5,700m on Laila Peak in the Karakoram range, according to a statement from Dahlmeier’s team. She was “hit by falling rocks,” and no one had been able to reach her due to the danger of further rockfalls and the site’s “remoteness”. Her climbing partner was able to sound the alarm after reaching safety.
Due to the falling rocks a helicopter rescue was not possible. A ground rescue mission struggled to reach the her due to the risk of falling rocks and poor weather causing visibility issues. Her team informed Sky Germany of her death.
Dahlmeier, an experienced mountaineer, had been in the region since the end of June and had already ascended the Great Trango Tower.
She won seven world championship gold medals, and at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang she became the first female biathlete to win the sprint and the pursuit at the same Games.
Dahlmeier retired from professional competition in 2019 at the age of 25. She went on to become a commentator on biathlon events for German broadcaster ZDF, and also took up mountaineering. She was a certified mountain and ski guide and an active member of the mountain rescue, according to her team.
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