German Olympic biathlon champion and two-time Olympic gold medal-winner Laura Dahlmeier has died in a tragic mountaineering accident on Laila Peak in northern Pakistan on July 28. She was 31.
Shipton Trek & Tours Pakistan, which organized the expedition, confirmed that a ground rescue would be conducted by a team of four, including three Americans and a German mountaineer.
However, efforts to retrieve Dahlmeier’s body were ultimately abandoned due to the extreme danger at the site, located at an altitude of around 5,700 meters (18,700 feet). Her management agency confirmed the decision, citing consultation with Pakistan’s Alpine Club and respect for Dahlmeier’s own wishes that no rescue attempt be made if it endangered others.
Tragic incident at Laila Peak
Authorities confirmed the athlete’s death after she was struck by falling rocks while ascending the 6,069-meter mountain in the Karakoram range on Monday.
The accident occurred around noon at an altitude of about 18,000 feet at Laila Peak in the Hushe Valley region of northeast Pakistan, said Karrar Haidri, an official at the Alpine Club of Pakistan.
Dahlmeier was climbing with fellow mountaineer Marina Eva Krauss when the fatal accident occurred. “I saw Laura being hit by a huge rock and then being thrown against the wall. And from that moment on, she didn’t move again,” Krauss told reporters in an emotional press conference. Unable to safely reach her partner, Krauss descended and alerted authorities.
“It was clear to me the only way to help her was to call a helicopter,” she added. However, extreme weather, including rain, strong winds, and poor visibility, hampered both aerial and ground recovery efforts.
German mountaineer Thomas Huber was part of a team who had attempted a rescue told reporters: “We have decided she should stay, because that was her wish.”
“The recovery of Laura’s body will be possible, but it involves incredible risks, both on foot and by helicopter,” said American mountaineer Jackson Marvell, who participated in the attempted rescue. “It would be disrespectful to recover her body contrary to her wishes,” Marvell told AFP.
Athlete and Adventurer
Dahlmeier was one of the most decorated biathletes in German history. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, she became the first woman to win both the sprint and pursuit events at a single Games, earning two golds and one bronze. Her career also included seven World Championship gold medals, five of which she won in a single event in 2017.
She retired from professional sport in 2019 at just 25 and later became a commentator for German broadcaster ZDF. Dahlmeier also pursued her passion for mountaineering, becoming a certified mountain and ski guide and an active member of mountain rescue services.
Having arrived in Pakistan in June, she had already completed a successful ascent of the Great Trango Tower before the ill-fated climb on Laila Peak.
Tributes and Reflection
Dahlmeier’s death prompted a wave of tributes and sorrow across the sporting world and beyond.
The German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, called her “an ambassador for our country around the world (and) a role model for peaceful, joyful, and fair coexistence across borders.”
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed “deep sorrow” over her death, describing Dahlmeier as “an inspiration for athletes and dreamers across the globe.”
“Her indomitable spirit and legacy as a true role model will shine on forever,” the statement read.
Local authorities in Gilgit-Baltistan said weather conditions and the treacherous terrain made any rescue attempts extremely hazardous. The final confirmation of her death came after a multinational team, supported by the Pakistani military, visually identified her body during a high-risk mission earlier this week.
Legacy beyond Medals
Dahlmeier’s contributions extended far beyond athletic achievement. The International Olympic Committee, the International Biathlon Union, and the German Olympic Sports Confederation praised her as a figure of exceptional integrity and inspiration.
“More than an Olympic champion,” read a statement from the German Olympic body. “She was someone with heart, attitude, and vision.”
Her tragic death has underscored both the allure and the dangers of high-altitude mountaineering in Pakistan’s remote northern ranges, which attract climbers from around the globe each year. But it has also immortalized her as a symbol of courage, both on the snow-covered tracks of Pyeongchang and the perilous peaks of the Karakoram.