GERMANY’s two-time Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has been confirmed dead at age 31 after being struck by falling rocks during a mountaineering expedition in Pakistan. Her management company stated that rescue operations were “impossible” due to the hazardous conditions.
“Rescue efforts to recover her failed and the operation was suspended,“ the company said in an official statement. The accident occurred on Monday at an altitude of 5,700 metres on Laila Peak in the Karakoram range.
Dahlmeier’s climbing partner raised the alarm after reaching safety, but authorities confirmed that helicopter extraction was not feasible. Areeb Ahmed Mukhtar, a senior official in Ghanche district, told AFP, “The conditions at the altitude where she was injured are extremely challenging.”
Shipton Trek & Tours Pakistan, which organised the expedition, reported that a ground rescue team of four climbers—three Americans and one German—attempted to reach her but were hindered by ongoing rockfall risks and the site’s remoteness.
The International Biathlon Union paid tribute, stating, “Laura’s energy and passion for life touched so many around the world. Her legacy, both within biathlon and beyond, will never be forgotten.”
Dahlmeier, who retired from professional biathlon in 2019, had transitioned to mountaineering and was a certified guide. Her team noted that she had previously expressed a wish that no rescue attempts endanger others in such situations.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier described her as “an ambassador for our country and a role model for peaceful, joyful, and fair coexistence across borders.” - AFP
