Who was Laura Dahlmeier? German Olympic champion who died in Pakistan

Dahlmeier was two-time Olympic Gold Medallist and five-time Biathlon World Champion.

Laura Dahlmeier, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and one of the most celebrated athletes in biathlon history, has died in a mountaineering accident on Laila Peak in northern Pakistan on July 28, Monday.

According to the Alpine Club of Pakistan, the accident occurred at an altitude of around 5,700 meters in the Hushe Valley region of the Karakoram range. The German biathlete had been climbing Laila Peak when a sudden rockfall struck. Her death was confirmed on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old had been in the Gilgit-Baltistan region since the end of June and had already completed a successful ascent of the Great Trango Tower, one of the world’s most challenging granite spires.

It is known that her climbing partner was able to descend safely and alert the safety authorities. But, reportedly, she died instantly. However, due to extreme altitude and deteriorating weather, rescue helicopters were unable to reach the site.

Still, they started a recovery mission but it was officially called off on the evening of July 29 apparently due to rough weather. Beacuse, in that case, Laura had already made peace with such a possibility.

She had expressed her wishes clearly way before the expedition: no one should risk their life to bring her back if something went wrong. “It was her wish to remain on the mountain if the worst were to happen,” her representatives said. Her family has chosen to honor that wish. “This is also in line with the wishes of her relatives,” they added.

Laura Dahlmeier was born on August 22, 1993, in the Bavarian ski town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. She quickly became one of the most dominant forces in the world of biathlon. At the 2017 World Championships, she made history by winning five gold medals.

Just a year later, at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, she became the first woman ever to win both the sprint and pursuit events at a single Olympic Games.

The German mountaineer announced her retirement from competitive biathlon in May 2019, at just 25 years old, but adventure never left her spirit. Instead, she turned her energy to mountaineering and started commentary. Also, continued to find different kind of challenges in high-altitude climbing across the world.

Her death has not only mourned the world of winter sports but for the all the mountaineering and outdoor community.

Also Read: Who is Kirsty Coventry? All you need to know about first female IOC President

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute to her legacy, calling Dahlmeier “an ambassador for our country around the world and a role model for peaceful, joyful, and fair coexistence across borders.”

The president of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry said, “Laura made history at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics as the first female biathlete to win sprint and pursuit gold at the same Games edition. She will be remembered forever.”

Laura Dahlmeier died doing what she loved the most, in the place she loved most, high in the mountains.

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