Germany’s double Olympic biathlon champion Laura Dahlmeier has been “seriously injured” in a severe mountaineering accident in Pakistan.
The incident occurred in the Karakorum mountains on Monday when the 31-year-old was caught in a rockfall.
Bad weather and the remoteness of the area prevented a rescue helicopter from reaching her until Tuesday morning.
Faizullah Faraq, a provincial government spokesperson, said the rescue operation is still under way with the co-operation of the Pakistan army.
In a statement to German broadcaster ZDF, Dahlmeier’s management said: “Laura Dahlmeier was climbing with her mountaineering partner on 28 July when she was caught in the rockfall. The accident took place around noon local time at an altitude of approximately 5,700 metres.
“Her partner immediately called emergency services and a rescue operation began immediately.
“Due to the remoteness of the area, a helicopter was only able to reach the site of the accident on the morning of 29 July.”
Dahlmeier has represented Germany at two Winter Olympics, winning two golds and one bronze medal in Pyeongchang in 2018.
She was the first woman to win both the sprint and pursuit event at the same Olympics, and won a further 15 medals, including seven golds, across five World Championships before retiring from competition in May 2019 aged 25.
