The Swiss-Ski Association confirmed that 26-year-old Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger died in an avalanche. The avalanche happened at Arosa, a mountain resort that is among the most well-known all-year winter resorts in Switzerland.
Walter Reusser, the Sport chief executive at Swiss-Ski, sadly stated: “We are speechless, and our thoughts are with Sophie’s family, to whom we express our deepest condolences.”
Reusser added: “For the Swiss-Ski family, the tragic death of Sophie has cast a dark shadow over the Christmas period. We are immensely saddened.”
According to reports, Hediger and a friend had been on the expert-level runs at the resort where the avalanche happened. Hediger’s body was not found until two hours after the tragedy, despite a search and rescue effort being launched.
Hediger competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics in China and finished on the podium twice in the 2023–24 World Cup. It was also reported that the athlete was preparing to compete in the 2026 Olympics in Italy.
Meanwhile, the federation declared that it would not disclose any more information regarding her passing, in accordance with the wishes of her boyfriend and her family.
Source: BBC, Sports Illustrated