Olympic Biathlon Champion Laura Dahlmeier Passes Away In Pakistan Mountaineering Accident
Her agency stated that the dangerous nature of the site made rescue efforts 'impossible," and confirmed her death on Wednesday.
'Rescue efforts to recover her failed and the operation was suspended," the statement continued.
The accident occurred around midday on Monday at an altitude of 5,700 metres (18,700 feet) on Laila Peak in the Karakoram range, according to a statement from her team on her official social media pages.
Dahlmeier's climbing partner managed to sound the alarm after reaching safety.
'It was determined that a helicopter rescue is not possible," said Areeb Ahmed Mukhtar, a senior local official in Ghanche district, where the more than 6,000 metre mountain is located.
'The conditions at the altitude where she was injured are extremely challenging," he added.
Shipton Trek & Tours Pakistan, which organised the expedition, confirmed a ground rescue attempt by a team of four, including three Americans and a German mountaineer.
Dahlmeier was 'hit by falling rocks," her team said on Tuesday, adding that no one had yet been able to reach her due to the danger of further rockfalls and the site's 'remoteness."
Muhammad Ali, a local disaster management official, told AFP that weather conditions have been 'extremely harsh" in the region over the past week, with rain, strong winds, and thick clouds.
Dahlmeier, an experienced mountaineer, had been in the region since the end of June and had already ascended the Great Trango Tower.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued a statement on Wednesday, calling Dahlmeier 'an ambassador for our country around the world and a role model for peaceful, joyful, and fair coexistence across borders."
She won seven world championship gold medals, and at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, she became the first female biathlete to win both the sprint and the pursuit at the same Games.
Dahlmeier retired from professional competition in 2019 at the age of 25.
She later became 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.
(with AFP inputs)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
16 minutes ago
- First Post
'Did not expect such big reaction from him': Prasidh on how he unsettled a usually composed Joe Root at The Oval
Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna and English batter Joe Root were involved in a heated back-and-forth on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test. Krishna revealed that it was a plan to get a reaction from Root. read more Prasidh Krishna and Joe Root were involved in a heated back-and-forth on Day 2 of the Oval Test. AFP Indian pacer Prasidh Krishna enjoyed the back-and-forth he had with Joe Root on Day 2 of the fifth and final Test. Following the end of the the pacer revealed that he took the onus to provoke the ire of England's batting general. Prasidh and Root indulged in a heated confrontation that required interventions from the umpires. The usually calm and composed Root lost his cool when Prasidh hurled something at him following a boundary in the 22nd over. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prasidh Krishna on heated banter with Joe Root Krishna's words did not sit well with Root, who showcased his animated side to the Indian pacer. After the culmination of the day, Prasidh made it known that it was nothing but just a banter between the two 'good mates' that comes within the confines of the game. 'Well, it was a very small thing. I think it was just a competitive edge among us that was coming out. Both of us are good mates off the field. It was just a little bit of a banter, and both of us enjoyed it,' said Prasidh in the post-day press conference. The Karnataka pacer further stated that bringing out a reaction from Root was not an accident; rather the act was carried out with a purpose. 'That was also the plan. But I didn't really expect a couple of words that I said to get such a big reaction from him. But like I said, I love the guy that he is. He's a legend of the game. 'And for him to come out there, it's great when two people are out there wanting to do their best,' said Praisdh who took a four-wicket haul alongside Mohammed Siraj to script India's impressive comeback after the onslaught of Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley in the first session. Prasidh further said that trading barbs with the opposition batter tends to get the best out of him. 'I try and enjoy bowling if it means that I have a bit of a chatter with the batsman. And it does help me when the batsman also is, I can get under the nerves and get a reaction from him. And I think I was just running in well,' said the lanky fast bowler. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Prasidh on how bowlers readjusted after morning beat-down As India suffered a clobbering at the hands of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett in the morning session, the bowlers decided to brush aside the beating and worked on improving. 'As a team we knew what happened before lunch and the three fast bowlers, I think we got together in a small corner and decided, what's happened has happened. 'And all of us know what we need to be doing and we just said, every time we are on the field, at the mark, we trust each other enough, go speak to each other, tell them if you're not on the right track, and just make sure you're bowling the right lines and take it from there. 'And as a team as well, we spoke about the same thing. Like, if the next three, two hours, if we can show some body language, I think it's going to make a big difference and it made a big difference,' he said. The 29-year-old stated that when the chips were against them, they concentrated on getting the basics right and reaped the results in the form of wickets. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I think they are playing a lot of shots and as a bowling unit, it's very hard for us to keep bowling the same areas, knowing they're going to do all kinds of things and try to score runs. But that's the challenge in itself. 'If you can still come there and know what your lengths and lines are and keep bowling the same good balls again and again, I think it's a matter of time. And that's the challenge, to be able to bowl the good lengths in spite of the aggressive intent of the batsman.' India ended the day at 75/2 after 18 overs, taking a lead of 52 runs. Jaiswal and Akash Deep are currently in the middle. A topsy-turvy day for both teams has set the tone for a thrilling Day 3.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Telangana to unveil new sports policy today
Hyderabad: With a vision to transform Telangana into a cradle of Olympic champions, chief minister A Revanth Reddy will launch the state's new sports policy at the Telangana Sports Conclave on Saturday at HICC, Hi-Tec City. The conclave will see participation from some of India's most celebrated sportspersons, including Gagan Narang, Pullela Gopichand, and Abhinav Bindra. As part of the state's broader efforts to revamp its sporting ecosystem, the govt will sign several key MoUs, notably with FIFA and the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP). You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad The policy is designed to provide comprehensive support to elite athletes, including international-level coaching, training facilities, sports insurance, and medical aid. Built on five core pillars — governance and organisation, sports ecosystem, long-term athlete development, infrastructure and skills development, and career pathways — the policy aims to create a sustainable and high-performance sports environment, officials said. A key feature of the policy is the establishment of the sports hub of Telangana, envisioned as an umbrella organisation to offer strategic direction and policy oversight. This body will be governed by a board of governors, including at least four distinguished athletes, and will manage the Telangana sports development fund.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Record-breaking Summer McIntosh on path to emulate Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky
Growing up in Toronto, Summer McIntosh chose her idols well. She named the family cat, an orange tabby, Mikey, for Michael Phelps, the most decorated swimmer of all time. McIntosh's bedroom wall was covered with photos and inspirational quotes from Katie Ledecky, swimming's dominant queen with nine Olympic and 22 world titles. Chasing GOATs At 18, she is well on her way to joining them in the sport's pantheon — indeed, at the ongoing World Championships in Singapore, she is looking to equal a Phelps record and has already defeated Ledecky over 400 metres in the freestyle final. Phelps is the only swimmer to have won five individual gold medals in a single edition of the World Championships. McIntosh, who hopes to compete in five individual events at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, is using this year's championships as something of a test run! 'I'm trying to see if I can do five events individually and how well I can do in them and how I can manage it... doing that run through now, three years out, is definitely something that will give me lots of confidence,' she said ahead of the Worlds' swimming portion, which began on July 27. McIntosh arrived in Singapore after completing one of the greatest weeks in swimming history with a hat-trick of world records in June, becoming the first to set three different individual long-course records in one meet since Phelps in 2008. At the Canadian trials, she broke the world marks in the 200m and 400m individual medleys (IM), as well as the 400m freestyle. ALSO READ | Divya, the girl who could become chess queen Despite owning the 400 free world record, McIntosh had failed to win gold in the event at the Olympics or previous Worlds. She remedied that in ominous fashion, launching her packed programme with a statement win. The highly anticipated battle between McIntosh and Ledecky — an appetiser to the 800m freestyle — failed to materialise, as the Canadian led from start to finish and the American took bronze. McIntosh had little time to savour her first major 400m triumph. The teen sensation exited quickly to prepare for the 200m IM semifinals, where she was again in a class of her own. 'While preparing mentally, I thought this was my biggest night of the whole meet,' she said. 'I've never done a double like that. And the 400m free, at past World Championships and Olympics, I haven't been where I wanted to be. So I'm really happy.' Her joy doubled a day later, when she bagged a second gold, in the 200m IM. On Thursday, she completed a hat-trick of triumphs, clinching the 200m butterfly. The events remaining in her bid to equal Phelps will be swum this weekend: Saturday's 800m free and Sunday's 400m IM. It's a gruelling schedule, especially when you add all the heats and semifinals. 'It means 14 or 15 races in eight days, demanding races,' Canada's head coach Iain McDonald said. Which of those races is her best event? 'She's such a versatile athlete, it's kind of tough to nail what her best events are,' McDonald said. 'She's pretty good right across the spectrum.' Blockbuster main-event There are no doubts, however, about which event the world is waiting for. McIntosh is coming for Ledecky's 800m crown, which the American has kept a tight grip on. In addition to four Olympic wins, Ledecky is hoping to become the first swimmer to claim seven world titles in a single event. In May, Ledecky improbably took down her nine-year-old world record from the 2016 Rio Olympics. But McIntosh represents a clear and present danger. The 18-year-old came within two seconds of the 28-year-old's mark recently, signalling the chance that fans could soon see a changing of the guard. McIntosh famously ended Ledecky's 13-year unbeaten streak in the event in 2024, when she bested the American by nearly six seconds at a sectionals meeting in Orlando, Florida. What's more, the rivalry doesn't faze her. 'Katie always brings the best out of me,' McIntosh said. 'Which is why I'm never nervous to race her.' Ledecky, who won the 1500m freestyle gold in Singapore on Tuesday, is aware of the contender's prowess, but has been mentally preparing to meet an equal for years. 'I've always approached each race with a mindset that something like that could happen,' Ledecky once said. 'Even as that didn't happen for many, many years, I still maintain that approach.' Irrespective of how the race goes, what is certain is that McIntosh will look at it as another learning opportunity. It's this desire to constantly improve, a trait common to great athletes, that has lifted her to soaring heights in a short career. She is never satisfied. ALSO READ | Nikhat Zareen reiterates 'hunger to win medals' ahead of World Boxing Championships After winning three gold medals at the Paris Olympics, McIntosh felt there was room for growth. Her attitude after breaking three world records in June was similar. 'Absolutely wild,' she said of the accomplishment, before promptly pointing to a litany of things she could improve on in each race, saying the self-criticism is part of her mission to keep testing the boundaries of her sport. 'I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect race, at least I haven't done it yet,' she said. 'I always want more. And I'm also still so young, I know I can get so much stronger.' That competitive spirit runs deep in the McIntosh family. Her mother Jill competed at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics in swimming and older sister Brooke is a top pairs figure skater. 'We knew even at seven or eight years old that she was going to be an exceptional swimmer... beating 10 and 12-year-olds by a pool length,' her father Greg McIntosh said. 'She is a force of nature. She has been since she was a child.' McIntosh's rapid journey to the pinnacle of swimming has taken her from Canada to Florida, where she trained with the Sarasota Sharks from 2022 and through the Paris Games. After the World Championships, she will begin training with Phelps' mentor Bob Bowman in Texas, as she builds to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Hunter and hunted But even as she is hurtling towards greatness, McIntosh knows the wheel of sport will turn. Just as she is hunting down Ledecky, others will soon pursue her. In Singapore, a pre-teen Chinese swimmer showed she could be nipping at McIntosh's heels. Just 12, Yu Zidi created a sensation at the Worlds after missing the podium by only 0.06 seconds in the 200 IM. Yu is recording faster times than McIntosh did as a 12-year-old, but the Canadian looks at it as further motivation. 'World records are made to be broken. So by the time I leave this sport, I want to make sure that [my] records are as fast as possible,' she said. 'I know there's always going to be the next generation of kids growing up, and they're going to be chasing the record. So I've got to give them my best effort to see how long it can stand.'
