BERLIN, Germany — Germany is mourning the tragic death of double Olympic gold medallist Laura Dahlmeier, who died during a mountaineering expedition in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountains.
The 31-year-old former biathlon star was killed in a rockfall while climbing at around 5,700 metres (18,700 feet) on July 28.
Her climbing partner, Marina Eva, alerted emergency services immediately, prompting a multinational rescue effort.
However, harsh weather and treacherous terrain forced rescue teams from Germany and the United States to call off the mission the following evening.
Dahlmeier’s management agency confirmed her death on Wednesday, saying she likely died on the day of the accident.
In a statement to Die Welt newspaper, they revealed that the athlete had left written instructions requesting no one risk their life to retrieve her body in such a situation.
“It was Laura Dahlmeier’s express and written will that, in a case like this, no-one should risk their life to recover her,” the statement read. “She wanted to be left on the mountain. Her family fully supports this decision.”
A decorated athlete and passionate mountaineer, Dahlmeier made history at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, where she became the first woman to win both the sprint and pursuit biathlon events at the same Games.
She also earned a bronze in the individual race, bringing her Olympic medal tally to three.
In her biathlon career, she amassed 15 World Championship medals, including seven golds, before retiring from professional sport in 2019.
Tributes have poured in from across the sporting world and beyond.
International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry described Dahlmeier’s death as “deeply shocking,” saying, “She lost her life in her beloved mountains. She will be remembered forever.”
The German Olympic Sports Confederation honoured her not just as a champion, but as “someone with heart, attitude, and vision.”
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Dahlmeier had served as “an ambassador for our country around the world and a role model for peaceful, joyful and fair coexistence across borders.”
Dahlmeier, who began mountain climbing as a teenager, remained an active outdoorswoman even after stepping away from competition.
She was known for her advocacy of environmental issues and had written children’s books promoting outdoor adventure and nature conservation.
Her legacy, both as an elite athlete and as a passionate adventurer, leaves a lasting mark on Germany and the global sports community.
