The German ex-Biathlete Laura Dahlmeier (31) died after a climbing accident in Pakistan. Various international media write this on Wednesday based on a statement from her management.
The former Biathlete was on the way to the top of the Laila Peak in the Karakoram Mountains in northern Pakistan on Monday when she was hit by falling stones at about 5,700 meters. Her climbing partner Marina Krauss immediately alerted the emergency services and reached the base camp safely. Due to persistent bad weather, military helicopters could not take off, which made the rescue operation difficult.
Dahlmeier was one of the most successful biathletes of her generation. At Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in 2018, she won two gold medals and one bronze. She crowned a total of seven gold, three silver and five bronze medals at world championships and won twenty world cup competitions. In the 2016-2017 season she won the Algemeen World Cup classification.
Other sports
She grew up in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the German Alps, from which they climbed in the Biathlon. At the age of 25 she put an end to her successful Biathlon career, after which she focused on other sports such as climbing. Dahlmeier, for example, became a certified mountain and ski guide. She also worked as a volunteer at the mountain service service in her native region.
Three years ago she lost her ex-partner who died during a climb through an avalanche. Dahlmeier did not stop that event from starting a new existence as a mountaineer after her top sport career.
The circumstances in the mountain area are dangerous. Every year hundreds of climbers try to reach the mountain tops of North Pakistan. Accidents occur regularly due to avalanches, rock trap and varying again. The region is currently also being hit by heavy seasonal rains, which lead to floods and landslides.