Swiss snowboarder Sophie Hediger tragically died in an avalanche on Monday at the age of 26.
The Swiss ski federation announced the heartbreaking news on Tuesday, revealing that the incident occurred in the Arosa resort in the Swiss Alps.
“We are stunned and our thoughts are with Sophie's family, to whom we express our deepest condolences,” federation CEO Walter Reusser said in a statement.
'For the Swiss Ski family, the tragic death of Sophie Hediger casts a shadow over the Christmas holidays. We are immensely sad. We will maintain an honorable memory of Sophie.
Details about the incident are limited. Additionally, the Swiss Ski Federation said it would not provide further information about the athlete's death at the request of her family.
Hediger's death occurred nine days after his 26th birthday on December 14.
Swiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger tragically died in an avalanche in the Swiss Alps
La Parisien reported that Hediger died while skiing on Monday after heavy snowfall in the area.
According to a French media The ParisianThe Graubünden cantonal police announced on Monday that Hediger had died in an avalanche while ski touring. However, the identity of the victim was not revealed at that time.
The snowboarder was not located until two hours after the emergency services were notified and the police opened the investigation.
La Parisien also reported that heavy snowfall in Switzerland last week increased the risk of avalanches.
Hediger spent a lot of time hitting the slopes of Arosa before his life “came to a tragic end, suddenly and too soon,” according to the statement.
Hediger represented Switzerland at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing in the women's snowboard cross and mixed team events.
He also earned his first two World Cup podiums during the 2023-24 season, with his best result coming in January when he took second place in St. Moritz.
After the competition, he posted a photo on the podium with his competitors along with videos and snapshots of the race and his celebrations.
'Wow! What happened yesterday! I got my first World Cup podium at home! “I couldn't be happier,” he captioned.