Italian athlete Mattia Debertolis dies at World Games in China, cause of death unknown
The 29-year-old, who competes in a sport called orienteering, was found unconscious by organisers during a competition last Friday in Chengdu.
It must be noted that the cause of death for Debertolis remains unknown at this stage.
Four days after his collapse, Debertolis passed away on Tuesday. Debertolis was found unconscious during the Men's Middle Distance competition of orienteering on Friday morning. Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at one of China's leading medical institutions, he passed away.
'I am not able to adequately describe in words the unfathomable depth of sadness in this tragic loss of life. Our thoughts are with all who mourn Mattia. I encourage the global orienteering community to honor his memory,' International Orienteering Federation (IOF) President Tom Hollowell said in a statement.
Orienteering is an outdoor adventure sport where athletes navigate between checkpoints or controls marked on a special orienteering map. There is no set route. The challenge is to complete the course in the quickest time.
Debertolis was part of the Italian Orienteering Federation's team at the World Games 2025. He was a member of the Italian national team and participated in several World Championships and World Cups. He ended 5th with the Italian team in the World Cup Final 2022 Relay.
The IOF in a statement added: 'In his childhood and youth years, Mattia was active both in orienteering, cross-country skiing and football. His love for navigating and finding the control points made him prioritize orienteering and pursue a career within elite orienteering.
'Mattia was not only an elite athlete, but also a highly skilled civil engineer, with studies in progress for a PhD at the university in Stockholm, where he lived and was part of the orienteering club IFK Lidingö. In addition to this impressive combination with his athlete career, he supported his family with their local hotel in his home valley Primiero.'
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