he was 26 years old. «Incredulous and destroyed»

The athlete of the Swiss national snowboard team Sophie Hediger died at the age of 26 (turned 14 December last) after being hit by an avalanche in the Arosa area of ​​Switzerland. The tragedy dates back to yesterday but the Swiss federation (Swiss-Ski) announced it this afternoon with a press release. «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, director of Swiss-Ski.

The tragedy

On Monday the Graubünden cantonal police announced the death of a snowboarder struck by an avalanche while she was off-piste with another person. But he had not disclosed the victim's identity. According to initial investigations, the athlete and her companion took a closed path and just as they were leaving Hediger was hit by an avalanche. The emergency services were immediately alerted, but the snowboarder was found only two hours later. Resuscitation attempts on the spot were unsuccessful, said the police, who opened an investigation. Sophie Hediger achieved her first two World Cup podiums last season. In 2022 he took part in the Beijing Olympic Games. Two bronze medals at the Junior World Championships, both in snowboard cross, the first as a team in Rogla in 2016 and the second as an individual in Cardrona in 2018.