Two-time Olympic gold medalist Laura Dahlmeier has died after a mountaineering accident in Pakistan.
Dahlmeier was on a trip in the region’s Karakoram mountains when she was trapped in a rockfall on Monday, July 28, according to her management company.
Dahlmeier’s climbing partner, Marina Eva, alerted rescue services, who dispatched a helicopter to the area where Dahlmeier was trapped.
However, due to the remoteness of the area, the helicopter rescue was called off.
“It was determined that a helicopter rescue is not possible,” a senior official in Pakistan said. “The conditions at the altitude where she was injured are extremely challenging, and a team of foreign climbers will launch a ground rescue mission today.”
The ground mission was launched on Wednesday, July 30, featuring a team of three Americans and one German mountaineer. The team eventually located Dahlmeier and pronounced her dead.
She was 31 years old.
Dahlmeier won gold in both the women’s biathlon sprint and pursuit at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, becoming the first woman to win both events at the same Olympics.
The athlete’s family issued a statement about her death on Wednesday.
“We say farewell to a wonderful human being,” Dahlmeier’s family said. “With her warm and sincere nature, Laura enriched our lives and the lives of many others. She showed us that it’s worth standing up for one’s dreams and goals, while always staying true to oneself.”
Dahlmeier, who was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, received condolences on behalf of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who called her “a great sportswoman.”
“Laura Dahlmeier was an ambassador for our country in the world, a role model for peaceful, cheerful and fair coexistence across borders,” Steinmeier said in a statement.
International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry also paid tribute to Dahlmeier, saying she “lost her life in her beloved mountains.”
“She will be remembered forever,” Coventry said. “Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very difficult time.”
Dahlmeier retired from her professional biathlon career in 2019 and became an avid mountaineer.
According to ABC News, Dahlmeier had been a state-certified mountain and ski guide since 2023 and volunteered for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen mountain rescue team.
Dahlmeier shared via Instagram in June that she spent the month having “an amazing time in the mountains with great people!”
“Training and preparing for the next big expedition goal. ✅,” she wrote. “Grateful for the laughs, the lessons, and the views. Onward to new adventures – with home always in my heart. 🏔️🌍✨”
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