Snowboarder Sophie Hediger dies at age 26 in an avalanche

Swiss snowboarder Sophie Hediger, who has two World Cup podiums and participated in the 2022 Olympics, died in an avalanche on Monday in Arosa, in eastern Switzerland, the Swiss ski federation said. The young woman, who was a member of the national snowboardcross team, had just celebrated her 26th birthday on December 14.

She obtained her first two World Cup podiums last winter, with the best result being a second place in St. Moritz in January 2024. She also participated in the Beijing Olympics in 2022.

She was going off-piste with her companion

“For the Swiss-Ski family, a dark shadow fell over the Christmas period with the tragic death of Sophie Hediger. We are incredibly sad. We will honor Sophie’s memory,” promised Walter Reusser, the boss of Swiss-Ski.

The young woman and her companion took a closed track and it was while they were leaving it that Sophie Hediger was caught in an avalanche. Emergency services were immediately notified, but the snowboarder could not be located until two hours later. Resuscitation attempts on site failed, said the police, who opened an investigation. The risk of avalanches is currently very high in Switzerland, as snow has fallen in abundance for several days.