Snowboarder Sophie Hediger died on Christmas Eve after injuries sustained in an avalanche in the Swiss Alps on Monday.
The news was confirmed by the Swiss Ski Federation, which expressed its condolences to the famous skier.
Sophie Hediger, a member of Switzerland's snowboard cross team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, has died following an avalanche at a mountain resort, the country's skiing federation said on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/PKu2970s5e
— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) December 24, 2024
“For the Swiss-Ski family, a dark shadow has fallen over the Christmas period with the tragic death of Sophie Hediger. We are devastated and our thoughts are with Sophie’s family, to whom we express our deepest condolences,” said Walter Reusser, President of the Swiss Ski Federation on Tuesday.
Swiss-Ski trauert um Sophie Hediger
— SwissSkiTeam (@swissskiteam) December 24, 2024
Sophie Hediger, Mitglied der Snowboardcross-Nationalmannschaft, ist am Montag bei einem Lawinenunglück in Arosa im Alter von erst 26 Jahren ums Leben gekommen.https://t.co/RaUtOorcYC pic.twitter.com/ChMbXHugCm
According to the regional police, a woman died off the slopes after an avalanche occurred in the area. The identity of the deceased was not initially known, however, hours later it was announced that she was Sophie Hediger.
Sophie Hediger dies during avalanche while snowboarding
According to a report, the woman was practicing on a closed slope when she was surprised by the avalanche. Authorities had warned of possible avalanches in recent days due to the large amount of snow that has fallen in the country.
Hediger was a multi-medallist at the Snowboard World Cup. In January this year, the 26-year-old snowboarder earned a pair of podium finishes at the last edition of the competition and took second place in preparations in St. Moritz, as part of her preparation for the 2025 World Championships.
Sophie Hediger represented Switzerland at the 2022 Winter Olympics and also in various international competitions.
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