Sport climber Christoph Schweiger died in a traffic accident last weekend.
The German Alpine Association (DAV) confirmed this on Wednesday, citing the Ingolstadt family. Schweiger, one of four climbing brothers, lived to be 21. “His death shocked us very much, our heartfelt sympathy goes to his family and his circle of friends,” wrote the DAV.
Schweiger has been a member of the DAV national squad since 2016, and in 2018 he joined the German World Cup team. His specialty was bouldering. He competed in his last international competition last October at the World Cup in Morioka, Japan. Previously, Schweiger surprisingly made it to the semi-finals at the European Championships in Munich, where he finished eighth.
The World Climbing Association IFSC also reacted dismayed to the news. “It is heartbreaking that someone so young should lose their life in this way,” President Marco Scolaris wrote in a statement.