Millo Moravski/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
Sophie Hediger, who represented Switzerland in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, died in an avalanche in Arosa, Switzerland on Monday. She was 26.
According to a police report, Hediger was snowboarding with another person on a closed black diamond slope in Arosa, a town and a resort in eastern Switzerland. She left the closed slope and was caught in an avalanche.
Hediger's companion contacted rescue services, who found her buried under the snow about two hours later. Efforts to revive her were unsuccessful, and she died at the scene.
The Zurich native had been making waves in the snowboarding world, securing her first two World Cup podium finishes in the 2023-2024 season. In late January, she placed second in a Word Cup race in her home country. The next month, she earned third at an event in Gudauri in Georgia.
She also represented Switzerland at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, where she competed in snowboard cross.
Walter Reusser, the chief executive of Swiss Ski, said in a statement, "For the Swiss Ski family, the tragic death of Sophie Hediger has cast a dark shadow over the Christmas holidays. We are immeasurably sad. We will honor Sophie's memory."
Tributes from teammates, coaches, and fans poured in following the news of her death.
Hediger's teammate and friend Aline Albrecht wrote on Instagram, "With you I lose my best friend."
Another teammate, Sina Siegenthaler, wrote: "Keep on shredding in the clouds."
The Swiss snowboard cross team mourned the loss of their athlete.
Oxess, who makes the board that Hediger used, wrote, "Her passion for the mountains and her dedication to the sport touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing her."
