Olympian snowboarder Sophie Hediger was killed in an avalanche in her house nation of Switzerland on Monday.

Hediger, 26, was caught in an avalanche whereas “freeriding,” also referred to as snowboarding on pure terrain in Arosa, each a city and a resort in japanese Switzerland, in keeping with a press release from winter sports activities federation Swiss-Ski.

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

Hediger and one other individual had been on a closed black diamond slope Monday afternoon when she was struck by the avalanche after leaving the closed slope, native police shared with ABC Information.

The opposite individual notified rescue companies, who situated Hediger buried within the avalanche discipline a pair hours later. She died on the scene of the accident after unsuccessful CPR makes an attempt, ABC Information reported.

No further info, or particulars concerning the incident can be launched by Swiss-Ski on the request of Hediger’s family members, Swiss-Ski mentioned. Swiss-Ski has additionally requested the privateness of Hediger’s household be revered.

“For the Swiss-Ski household, the tragic demise of Sophie Hediger forged a darkish shadow over the Christmas days,” Walter Reusser, alpine director for Swiss-Ski mentioned in a press release. “We’re immensely unhappy. We are going to maintain a transferring reminiscence of Sophie.”

Arosa didn’t instantly reply to USA TODAY’s request for touch upon Tuesday.

Who was Sophie Hediger?

Hediger grew up in Horgen, a city within the canton of Zurich, however spent quite a lot of time in Arosa.

“It was there that her life now ended tragically, brutally and much too quickly, whereas she practiced freeriding, a passion she liked very a lot,” Swiss-Ski mentioned.

She obtained her first two locations at World Cup podiums throughout the 2023-2024 season. he positioned second in St. Moritz, Switzerland, in January, adopted by third in Gudauri, Georgia, in February, ABC Information reported.

One in all Hediger’s “sports activities goals” was to win a medal within the upcoming Ski Freestyle and Snowboard World Championships in Engadin, Switzerland, in March, Swiss-Ski mentioned.

Hediger additionally competed within the 2022 Olympics in Beijing within the ladies’s snowboard cross and the blended workforce snowboard cross, finishing “one other dream” together with her participation within the video games, in keeping with ABC Information.