Laura Dahlmeier, Gold Medal-Winning German Biathlete, Dies in Rockfall

Ms. Dahlmeier, 31, an experienced mountaineer, was climbing in Pakistan when she was hit by falling rocks, officials said.


Laura Dahlmeier, who was credited with boosting the popularity of the biathlon in Germany, was aiming for the summit of Laila Peak in the Karakoram Mountains in Pakistan when she died, officials said. Naveed Hussain/Alamy

By Zia ur-Rehman and Victor Mather
Zia ur-Rehman reported from Islamabad, Pakistan, and Victor Mather from New York.
July 30, 2025

Laura Dahlmeier, a two-time Olympic gold medal-winning German biathlete, died after a mountaineering accident in Pakistan on Monday. She was 31. … Her death was reported by ZDF, a German broadcaster that had employed her as an expert biathlon commentator, and confirmed by Pakistani officials.

The accident occurred around noon on Monday, at an altitude of about 18,000 feet at Laila Peak in the Karakoram Mountains in the Hushe Valley region of northeast Pakistan, said Karrar Haidri, an official at the Alpine Club of Pakistan, a group that promotes mountaineering. Faizullah Firaq, a spokesman for the regional government of Gilgit-Baltistan, confirmed the death.

Ms. Dahlmeier, an experienced mountaineer who had been climbing in the area since June, was hit by falling rocks. Along with a partner, she had been aiming to reach Laila’s summit.


Ms. Dahlmeier won five gold medals at the 2017 biathlon world championships in Hochfilzen, Austria, among a total of seven in her career. Franck Fife/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The climbing partner, Marina Krauss, escaped unharmed and alerted the authorities. “She managed to send a distress signal and successfully descended to base camp,” Mr. Haidri said.

{snip}

Victor Mather, who has been a reporter and editor at The Times for 25 years, covers sports and breaking news.