German biathlon champion and double Olympic gold medalist, Laura Dahlmeier, has died at the age of 31 following a mountaineering accident in Pakistan.
Dahlmeier was climbing Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range on Monday when she was struck by falling rocks.
Her death was confirmed on Wednesday after initial rescue efforts were hampered by harsh weather conditions and the dangerous nature of the site.
An experienced mountaineer, Dahlmeier had retired from biathlon in 2019. She won two gold medals in the sprint and pursuit events at the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018, and also held seven World Championship titles.
Tributes have poured in from the sports world, with the International Biathlon Union and the German Olympic Sports Confederation expressing deep sorrow at her passing.
Her management team stated that she likely died instantly and, in accordance with her wishes, no further recovery attempts would be made to retrieve her body from the mountain.