Olympic champion Dahlmeier dies in climbing accident
Laura Dahlmeier died aged 31 after being hit by falling rocks on a mountain in Pakistan. Photo: Reuters
Germany's two-time Olympic biathlon gold medallist Laura Dahlmeier was confirmed dead aged 31 on Wednesday after being hit by falling rocks on a Pakistani mountain.
The dangerous nature of the site made rescue efforts "impossible", her agency said in a statement issued on Wednesday, which confirmed her death. "Rescue efforts to recover her failed and the operation was suspended," the statement continued.
The accident happened around midday on Monday at an altitude of 5,700 metres on Laila Peak in the Karakoram range, according to a statement from her team on her official social media pages.
Dahlmeier's climbing partner was able to sound the alarm after reaching safety.
Dahlmeier, an experienced mountaineer, had been in the region since the end of June and had already ascended the Great Trango Tower.
Dahlmeier 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. (AFP)
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