Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger has died following an avalanche in Switzerland, the nation’s snowboarding federation has mentioned.

Hediger, 26 and a member of Switzerland’s snowboard cross workforce on the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, was within the mountain resort of Arosa when the incident occurred on Monday.

Hediger competed on the Beijing Video games within the ladies’s snowboard cross and the combined workforce model of the identical occasion.

Learn extra from Sky Information:
Russian cargo ship ‘on Syria mission’ sinks in Mediterranean
Two lorry drivers killed after crash on Christmas Eve

She achieved her first two World Cup podium finishes within the 2023-24 season. Her finest end result was a second place in St Moritz in January.

“We’re shocked and our ideas are with Sophie’s household, to whom we provide our deepest condolences,” mentioned Swiss-Ski CEO Walter Reusser in an announcement.

Mr Reusser added Hediger grew up in Horgen, a city about 20 minutes by automotive from Zurich, and spent loads of time in Arosa.

He mentioned she misplaced her life “tragically, brutally and much too quickly”.