Olympic star ‘seriously’ hurt in climbing accident
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German Olympic gold medallist Laura Dahlmeier suffers serious injuries in Pakistan climbing accident
Olympic Biathlon Champion Laura Dahlmeier Injured in Karakoram Climbing Accident
Omega TV UK – Karakoram Mountains, Pakistan
German Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has sustained serious injuries after being struck by falling rocks during a mountaineering expedition in northern Pakistan.
The 31-year-old, known for her record-breaking career in winter sports, was climbing in the Karakoram mountain range on Monday when a sudden rockfall hit her at an altitude of approximately 5,700 metres.
Her mountaineering partner, who was with her at the time, immediately alerted emergency services. However, poor weather conditions and the remote location delayed the rescue mission.
Delayed Rescue Effort
A helicopter dispatched to extract Dahlmeier couldn’t access the site until Tuesday morning. According to German broadcaster ZDF, rescue efforts were suspended again Tuesday evening due to fading daylight, with plans to resume at first light on Wednesday.
Faizullah Faraq, a spokesperson for the regional government, confirmed that the Pakistan army is assisting with the ongoing rescue operation.
Dahlmeier’s management team issued a statement to ZDF confirming the incident:
“Laura was caught in a rockfall on 28 July while climbing with her partner. The rescue began immediately, but due to the area’s inaccessibility, help only arrived by air the following day.”
Mountaineering Veteran and Olympic Legend
Though she retired from biathlon competition in 2019 at the age of 25, Dahlmeier remains one of Germany’s most decorated winter athletes. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, she claimed two gold medals and one bronze, making history as the first woman to win both the sprint and pursuit events at a single Olympics.
She also earned 15 medals seven of them gold across five Biathlon World Championships before stepping away from competitive sport.
Dahlmeier has since pursued a life of adventure, dedicating herself to mountain climbing and environmental causes.
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