Laura Dahlmeier, a two-time German biathlon Olympic gold medalist, has died after a climbing accident in Pakistan, her management team and local government officials confirmed.
The 31-year-old, who also won seven world championships in biathlon, was climbing Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range on Monday when she was struck by falling rocks at about 18,700 feet. Her rope partner, Marina Eva, quickly issued a distress call, launching a massive rescue mission, her management team said. Eva, uninjured, was able to descend to base camp with help from rescuers on Tuesday.
The rescue operation was hampered by low visibility and bad weather.
Laura Dahlmeier, of Germany, celebrates during the medals ceremony at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea,
Morry Gash / AP
Faizullah Faraq, a spokesman for the regional Gilgit-Baltistan government, on Wednesday said rescuers confirmed Dahlmeier's death and that efforts are underway to retrieve her body.
"Based on findings from the helicopter flyover and the rope partner's account of the severity of the injuries, it must be assumed that Laura Dahlmeier died instantly," her management team said in a statement to German media. A similar statement was shared on Dahlmeier's Instagram account.
A separate post on Instagram honored Dahlmeier as a "wonderful person" who "enriched the lives of many, including our own, with her warm and straightforward manner."
"She showed us that it's worth standing up for your dreams and goals and always staying true to yourself," the post continued. "We are deeply grateful, dear Laura, that we were allowed to share our lives with you. Our shared moments and memories give us the strength and courage to continue on our path."
Dahlmeier's body will be brought to the city of Skardu when it is retrieved by rescuers, Faraq said.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier offered his condolences to Dahlmeier's parents, writing that she "was an exceptional sportswoman." He recalled that he presented her with the highest honor on German sport, the Silver Laurel Leaf, shortly after she won her first Olympic gold medal in 2018.
"Laura Dahlmeier was an ambassador for our country in the world, a role model for peaceful, cheerful and fair coexistence across borders," he said.
Germany's Laura Dahlmeier skis during the World Cup biathlon women's short 12.5-kilometer event in Canmore, Alberta on Feb. 7, 2019.
Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP, File
Dahlmeier made her professional debut at the IBU World Cup during the 2012-13 season at age 19. She was chosen to represent team Germany at Sochi 2014, where she placed 13th in the individual, according to Olympics.com
She went on to win two Olympic gold medals at the PyeongChang Games in 2018, becoming the first female biathlete in history to win sprint and pursuit events at the same Olympic Games. She also picked up a bronze in the individual at those Games.
Dahlmeier won seven gold, three silver and five bronze medals at the Biathlon World Championships, along with 20 World Cup races and the overall World Cup in the 2016-17 season, according to her website.
Dahlmeier retired from competitive biathlon in May 2019 at age 25. She grew up in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the German Alps and turned to mountaineering challenges after ending her biathlon career. She had been a state-certified mountain and ski guide since 2023 and volunteered for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen mountain rescue team.
Hundreds of climbers try to scale mountains in northern Pakistan every year and accidents are common because of avalanches and sudden weather changes, according to the Associated Press.
The region has also been battered by above-normal seasonal rains, triggering flash floods and landslides. Since last week, at least 20 Pakistani tourists have been missing after floodwaters swept them away near the northern district of Chilas.
