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Swiss Olympic snowboarder dies in avalanche

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Sophie Hediger competed in the 2022 Olympic Games in women's snowboard cross and mixed team cross. Keystone-SDA

The Swiss-Ski federation has announced the tragic death of Sophie Hediger, a member of the national snowboard cross team. Hediger was swept away by an avalanche in the Swiss mountain resort Arosa on Monday. Sophie Hediger was 26 years old.

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“We are shocked, and our thoughts are with Sophie’s family, to whom we offer our deepest condolences,” said Swiss-Ski CEO Walter Reusser, as quoted in a press release. “For the Swiss-Ski family, Sophie’s tragic death casts a dark shadow over the Christmas holidays. We are immensely sad. We will remember Sophie fondly,” he continued.

Sophie Hediger lost her life “tragically, brutally and far too soon”, said Swiss-Ski. She had achieved her first two World Cup podiums in the 2023/24 season, her best result being a 2nd place in St-Moritz last January during the dress rehearsal for the 2025 World Championships.

She competed in the 2022 Olympic Games in China in women’s snowboard cross, and in the mixed team snowboard cross.

As agreed with Hediger’s family and her partner, Swiss-Ski will provide no further information on her death and asks that the privacy of the bereaved be respected, the federation wrote.

Translated from German by DeepL/jdp

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