Sophie Hediger, member of the Swiss snowboard cross team at Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, died following an avalanche in a mountain resort, the national ski federation announced Tuesday.
The incident occurred on Monday in the resort town of Arosa in Switzerland. Hediger spent a lot of time in Arosa, where she practiced her favorite pastime, freeriding, Swiss-Ski CEO Walter Reusser said in a statement. statement. His life “came to a tragic, sudden and far too early end,” Reusser said.
Hediger, 26, competed at the Beijing Games in women’s snowboard cross and the mixed team version of the same event.
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Hediger achieved his first two World Cup podiums during the 2023-24 season. His best result was a second place in St. Moritz in January. She grew up in Horgen, a town about 20 minutes by car from Zurich.
Swiss Ski said it would not release any further information about Hediger’s death.
“For the Swiss Ski family, the tragic death of Sophie Hediger has cast a dark shadow over the Christmas holidays. We are infinitely sad,” said Reusser.
Hediger’s death came less than four years after another Olympic snowboarder died in the Swiss Alps in an avalanche. In 2021, Julie Pomagalskiformer French Olympic snowboarder, was 40 years old. Four people were freeriding together when the avalanche occurred, the French federation said. Pomagalski’s guide also died.
