Olympic snowboarder passes away at 26 in avalanche

Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger died in an avalanche. She was 26 years old.

The Swiss-Ski federation confirmed her death, according to BBC, saying that the incident took place at a mountain resort early this week.

“We are speechless, and our thoughts are with Sophie's family, to whom we express our deepest condolences," Walter Reusser, the Sport chief executive at Swiss-Ski, said.

He added that Sophie’s sudden death “cast a dark shadow over the Christmas period.”

“We are immensely saddened,” continued Reusser.

As decided on by her family and partner, no further details will be shared about her for her privacy, per the federation.

Hediger took part in the Winter Olympics in China in 2022. She bagged two podium finishes at the World Cup’s 2023-2024 season.