Laura Dahlmeier, a 31-year-old Olympic champion from Germany, died during a climbing expedition in Pakistan. She and her partner, Marina Eva Krauss, attempted to summit Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountains. A rockfall hit them at around 5,700 metres on 28 July.

Krauss immediately called emergency services after the accident. German and American expert climbers launched a rescue mission within hours. However, bad weather and falling rocks slowed their search efforts.

A military helicopter reached the area the next morning. The crew scanned the site but found no signs of life. Teams later confirmed that Dahlmeier had died during the accident.

Her management announced the news on Wednesday. “A recovery operation was launched but ultimately called off on the evening of 29 July,” they told Germany’s Die Welt newspaper. They also said, “Laura Dahlmeier died on 28 July in a mountain accident on Laila Peak (6,069 metres) in Pakistan’s Karakoram range.”

Krauss survived and made it back to base camp safely. Dahlmeier had left written instructions for such a situation. “It was Laura Dahlmeier’s express and written will that in a case like this, no‑one should risk their life to recover her,” her team explained.

They further added, “It was her wish to leave her body behind on the mountain in this case. This is also in line with the wishes of her relatives.” Her family supported that choice, and rescuers respected her decision.

The German Olympic Sports Confederation expressed their grief. “She was more than an Olympic champion, she was someone with heart, attitude and vision,” they stated. They remembered her as a role model and a kind spirit.

International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry also responded. “She lost her life in her beloved mountains. She will be remembered forever,” she said. “Her death is deeply shocking for all of us in the Olympic movement,” she added.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier shared a tribute as well. “She was an ambassador for our country around the world and a role model for peaceful, joyful and fair coexistence across borders,” he noted. His message echoed global respect for her life and values.

Dahlmeier won two golds and a bronze at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. She became the first woman to win both sprint and pursuit events at the same Games. Her achievements also include 15 World Championship medals, with seven of them gold.

She retired from biathlon in May 2019 at age 25. After that, she focused on mountaineering and earned certification as a mountain and ski guide. Her climbs included Ama Dablam in Nepal, where she also set a speed record.

Dahlmeier never lost her passion for outdoor challenges. Her energy, humility, and strength inspired athletes and adventurers everywhere. The world now remembers her for both her courage and her quiet determination.

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