Laura Dahlmeier

❧

Wikipedia

Laura Dahlmeier
Dahlmeier in 2018
Personal information
NationalityGerman
Born(1993-08-22)22 August 1993
Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany
Died28 July 2025(2025-07-28) (aged 31)
Laila Peak, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Websitewww.laura-dahlmeier.de
Sport
Professional information
SportBiathlon
ClubSC Partenkirchen
World Cup debut1 March 2013
Retired17 May 2019
Olympic Games
Teams2 (2014, 2018)
Medals3 (2 gold)
World Championships
Teams5 (2013–2019)
Medals15 (7 gold)
World Cup
Seasons7 (2012–13 – 2018–19)
Individual races124
All races152
Individual victories22
All victories35
Individual podiums50
All podiums71
Overall titles1: 2016–17
Discipline titles2:
1 Individual (2016–17)
1 Pursuit (2016–17)
Medal record
Women's biathlon
Representing  Germany
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Olympic Games 2 0 1
World Championships 7 3 5
Total 9 3 6
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place2018 Pyeongchang7.5 km sprint
Gold medal – first place2018 Pyeongchang10 km pursuit
Bronze medal – third place2018 Pyeongchang15 km individual
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2015 Kontiolahti4 × 6 km relay
Gold medal – first place2016 Oslo10 km pursuit
Gold medal – first place2017 Hochfilzen10 km pursuit
Gold medal – first place2017 Hochfilzen15 km individual
Gold medal – first place2017 Hochfilzen12.5 km mass start
Gold medal – first place2017 Hochfilzen4 × 6 km relay
Gold medal – first place2017 HochfilzenMixed relay
Silver medal – second place2015 Kontiolahti10 km pursuit
Silver medal – second place2016 Oslo12.5 km mass start
Silver medal – second place2017 Hochfilzen7.5 km sprint
Bronze medal – third place2016 Oslo15 km individual
Bronze medal – third place2016 Oslo7.5 km sprint
Bronze medal – third place2016 Oslo4 × 6 km relay
Bronze medal – third place2019 Östersund7.5 km sprint
Bronze medal – third place2019 Östersund10 km pursuit
World Cup
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Sprint 4 9 4
Pursuit 11 4 3
Mass Start 4 5 2
Individual 3 0 2
Relay 12 3 3
Mixed Relay 1 1 0
Total 35 22 14
  • WC podiums including the Olympic games and World championships races
Junior World Championships
Gold medal – first place2013 Obertilliach12.5 km individual
Gold medal – first place2013 Obertilliach7.5 km sprint
Gold medal – first place2013 Obertilliach3 × 6 km relay
Silver medal – second place2013 Obertilliach10 km pursuit
Bronze medal – third place2011 Nové Město10 km pursuit
Bronze medal – third place2011 Nové Město3 × 6 km relay
European Youth Olympic Winter Festival
Gold medal – first place2011 Liberec10 km individual
Gold medal – first place2011 Liberec6 km sprint
Gold medal – first place2011 LiberecMixed relay

Laura Dahlmeier (German: [ˈlaʊʁa ˈdaːlˌmaɪɐ] ⓘ; 22 August 1993 – 28 July 2025) was a German biathlete. Dahlmeier started in her first World Cup races in the 2012–13 season.[1] In 2014, she participated in the Winter Olympics in Sochi. She won a record of five gold medals at the World Championships of 2017. In 2018, she became the first woman to win the biathlon sprint and pursuit in the same Olympics.[2] During her career she won a total of two golds and one bronze at the Olympics, seven gold medals, three silver medals and five bronze medals at World Championships, one overall World Cup and two discipline World Cup titles.

Dahlmeier announced her retirement from competition in May 2019, at the age of 25.[3] She died on 28 July 2025 in a mountaineering accident in northern Pakistan.[4]

Early life

Born on 22 August 1993 in the Bavarian ski-town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen,[5][6] Dahlmeier began skiing at a young age and took up biathlon by the age of 7. She excelled as a teenaged biathlete, and at the age of 17, she won gold in all three races (10km individual, 6km sprint, and the mixed relay) at the 2011 European Youth Olympic Winter Festival in Liberec.[5]

Career

Biathlon career

At the 2013 Biathlon Junior World Championships in Obertilliach, Austria, Dahlmeier took three gold medals in the individual, sprint and relay, as well as a silver in the pursuit. Following this, she was selected for the German team in the women's relay at the 2013 Biathlon World Championships: racing in the third leg, she shot clean and overcame a 38-second deficit to hand over with Germany in the lead. Dahlmeier completed her first full World Cup campaign the following season: she enjoyed further success in World Cup relays, however she was unable to secure a solo podium finish, and did not make an impact at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.[3]

Dahlmeier's start to her 2014–15 season was delayed due to injury, and she made her World Cup season debut at Pokljuka in December 2014. Two months later she took her first World Cup win in Nové Město na Moravě, following which she took another six podiums, including a second win, and her first two senior World Championship medals, a silver in the pursuit and a gold in the women's relay.[3]

In 2015–16, she took five World Cup wins, and at the World Championships in Oslo she took her first solo gold medal in the pursuit along with a silver in the mass start and bronzes in the sprint, individual and women's relay.[3]

Dahlmeier enjoyed her best season in 2016–17, winning the overall World Cup and winning five golds and a silver at the World Championships in Hochfilzen, Austria, missing out on a sixth gold by four seconds in the sprint to Gabriela Koukalová. She became the first woman in biathlon history to win five gold medals at a World Championships.[7]

The following season Dahlmeier's focus was on the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang: At the Games she became the second German woman to take the Olympic gold in the sprint, shooting clean as one of only three competitors to hit all targets in windy conditions, before doubling up with a second title in the pursuit and additionally taking a bronze in the individual.[3] Dahlmeier received the Silver Laurel Leaf shortly after she won her first Olympic gold medal. She was the first female biathlete to win sprint and pursuit gold medals at the same Winter Olympics.[8]

Dahlmeier's 2018–19 season was disrupted by illness. However, she took a World Cup race win at Antholz in January 2019 before going on to take two bronzes at the 2019 World Championships in Östersund in the sprint and the pursuit. In May 2019, after the end of the season, she announced her retirement from competition, stating that she no longer felt the 100% passion necessary for professional biathlon.[3][9]

Post-biathlon career

On 18 October 2019, Dahlmeier released the children's book Die Klima Gang: Laura Dahlmeier und Freunde im Einsatz für die Natur, which she co-authored (The Climate Gang: Laura Dahlmeier and Friends in Action for Nature).[10]

For the 2019–20 Biathlon World Cup season, she served as an expert commentator for the German broadcaster ZDF.[11]

After retiring from competitive biathlon, Dahlmeier competed in mountain running. In June 2019 she won the 39-kilometer Basetrail XL race of the Zugspitz Ultratrail in Grainau, Germany.[12] In September 2019 she won and set a new women's course record in the 52-kilometer Karwendelmarsch race from Scharnitz to Pertisau in Austria.[13] In November of that year she placed 27th at the 2019 World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships in Argentina.[14]

Dahlmeier became a state-certified ski and mountain guide in 2023 and was a volunteer for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen mountain rescue team.[8]

Death

On 28 July 2025, Dahlmeier died in a rockfall accident. She and her rope partner Marina Krauss were climbing Laila Peak in the Karakoram mountain range in Pakistan.[4] According to Krauss, who was walking some distance ahead of Dahlmeier at the time of the accident, the weather forecast for the day had been favorable.[15] When conditions deteriorated, they decided to turn back before reaching the summit. On their way down, a rockfall occurred. Dahlmeier was hit on the head by a large rock and thrown against the face of the mountain, leaving her unresponsive and in a position where Krauss could not reach her.[15][4] She was probably killed instantly.[16]

It was initially believed that Dahlmeier may have survived, and so a rescue operation was launched, but crews were unable to get to her location due to poor weather conditions.[17][15] On 30 July 2025, Dahlmeier's management confirmed that she had died during the accident;[4] they also said Dahlmeier had expressly wished that no-one should risk their life to recover her in the event of an accident and that her body should remain on the mountain.[18][19]

On several mountains in the region, the remains of a number of climbers who perished in accidents have been left behind, where recovery was particularly challenging due to the difficult terrain or adverse weather conditions.[20] The ongoing border conflict with India further complicated recovery efforts, as only the Pakistani military was permitted to operate helicopters in the area.[21]

An unnamed park in Garmisch-Partenkirchen will in future be named Laura Dahlmeier Park, as decided by the municipal council in coordination with the family of the deceased biathlon Olympic champion. A memorial already commemorates the honorary citizen there.[22] A final recovery attempt failed, and the body is untraceable. Laura’s father said, “We would have liked to bring Laura home. But it wasn’t possible to retrieve her. It was too dangerous after the accident.”[23]

Biathlon results

All results are sourced from the International Biathlon Union.[24] On 17 May 2019, she announced her retirement from biathlon.[25]

Olympic Games

3 medals (2 gold, 1 bronze)

Year Age Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed relay Single mixed relay
Russia 2014 Sochi 20 13th 46th 30th — 10th DSQ N/a
South Korea 2018 Pyeongchang 24 Bronze Gold Gold 16th 8th 4th
*The mixed relay was added as an event in 2014.

World Championships

15 medals (7 gold, 3 silver, 5 bronze)

Year Age Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed relay Single mixed relay
Czech Republic 2013 Nové Město 19 — — — — 5th — N/a
Finland 2015 Kontiolahti 21 6th 4th Silver 7th Gold —
Norway 2016 Oslo 22 Bronze Bronze Gold Silver Bronze —
Austria 2017 Hochfilzen 23 Gold Silver Gold Gold Gold Gold
Sweden 2019 Östersund 25 4th Bronze Bronze 6th 4th — —
*During Olympic seasons competitions are only held for those events not included in the Olympic program.
**The single mixed relay was added as an event in 2019.

Junior World Championships

Year Age Sprint Pursuit Relay Mixed relay
Czech Republic 2011 Nové Město 17 12th 14th Bronze Bronze
Finland 2012 Kontiolahti 18 16th 37th 34th 6th
Austria 2013 Obertilliach 19 Gold Gold Silver Gold

European Youth Olympic Winter Festival

Year Age Individual Sprint Mixed relay
Czech Republic 2011 Liberec 17 Gold Gold Gold

World Cup

Season Age Overall Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start
Races Points Position Points Position Points Position Points Position Points Position
2012–13197/2622035th——10132nd6936th5029th
2013–142017/2241015th5412th13823rd14514th7314th
2014–152117/257258th818th2928th2244th12812th
2015–162218/257866th8010th2139th2655th2283rd
2016–172324/2612111st1801st3722nd4111st2542nd
2017–182419/227304th——2524th2713rd2072nd
2018–192515/2555412th759th19110th16314th12513th

Shooting statistics

Season Overall Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass Start Relay
2012–13 90.0 (117/130) 0 (0/0) 96.7 (29/30) 82.5 (33/40) 87.5 (35/40) 99.9 (20/20)
2013–14 90.8 (336/370) 93.3 (56/60) 87.1 (61/70) 90.7 (127/140) 86.7 (52/60) 99.9(40/40)
2014–15 92.7 (290/313) 95.0 (38/40) 90.0 (63/70) 92.0 (92/100) 95.0 (57/60) 93.0 (40/43)
2015–16 91.6 (294/321) 90.0 (36/40) 85.0 (51/60) 95.0 (95/100) 92.0 (92/100) 95.2 (20/21)
2016–17 88.6 (444/501) 91.7 (55/60) 91.3 (73/80) 90.6 (145/160) 91.0 (91/100) 79.2 (80/101)
2017–18 90.6 (396/437) 87.5 (35/40) 90.0 (72/80) 94.3 (132/140) 89.2 (107/120) 87.7 (50/57)
2018–19 87.2 (251/288) 92.5 (37/40) 94.0 (47/50) 91.3 (73/80) 81.3 (65/80) 76.3 (29/38)

Key:Hits/shots, percentage. Results in all IBU World Cup races including relay events.[26]

Individual victories

  • 22 victories – (4 SP, 11 PU, 3 IN, 4 MS)
No. Season Date Location Race Level
1 2014–157 February 2015Czech Republic Nové Město, Czech Republic7.5 km SprintWorld Cup
217 March 2015Russia Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia12.5 km Mass startWorld Cup
3 2015–1612 December 2015Austria Hochfilzen, Austria10 km PursuitWorld Cup
419 December 2015Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia10 km PursuitWorld Cup
59 January 2016Germany Ruhpolding, Germany10 km PursuitWorld Cup
610 January 2016Germany Ruhpolding, Germany12.5 km Mass StartWorld Cup
76 March 2016Norway Holmenkollen, Norway10 km PursuitWorld Championships
8 2016–1730 November 2016Sweden Östersund, Sweden15 km IndividualWorld Cup
99 December 2016Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia7.5 km SprintWorld Cup
1010 December 2016Slovenia Pokljuka, Slovenia10 km PursuitWorld Cup
1119 January 2017Italy Antholz, Italy15 km IndividualWorld Cup
1212 February 2017Austria Hochfilzen, Austria10 km PursuitWorld Championships
1315 February 2017Austria Hochfilzen, Austria15 km IndividualWorld Championships
1419 February 2017Austria Hochfilzen, Austria12.5 km Mass StartWorld Championships
152 March 2017South Korea Pyeongchang, South Korea7.5 km SprintWorld Cup
164 March 2017South Korea Pyeongchang, South Korea10 km PursuitWorld Cup
1711 March 2017Finland Kontiolahti, Finland10 km PursuitWorld Cup
18 2017–1816 December 2017France Annecy, France10 km PursuitWorld Cup
1920 January 2018Italy Antholz, Italy10 km PursuitWorld Cup
2010 February 2018South Korea Pyeongchang, South Korea7.5 km SprintWinter Olympic Games
2112 February 2018South Korea Pyeongchang, South Korea10 km PursuitWinter Olympic Games
22 2018–1927 January 2019Italy Antholz-Anterselva, Italy12.5 km Mass StartWorld Cup
*Results are from IBU races which include the Biathlon World Cup, Biathlon World Championships and the Winter Olympic Games.

Relay victories

No. Season Date Location Level Teammate
12012–1310 March 2013Russia Sochi, RussiaWorld Cup Henkel, Sachenbacher-Stehle, Neureuther
22013–1412 December 2013France Le Grand-Bornand, France Henkel, Preuss, Hildebrand
38 January 2014Germany Ruhpolding, Germany Sachenbacher-Stehle, Preuss, Hildebrand
42014–1525 January 2015Italy Antholz, Italy Kummer, Preuss, Hildebrand
513 March 2015Finland Kontiolahti, FinlandWorld Championships Hinz, Preuss, Hildebrand
62016–1711 December 2016Slovenia Pokljuka, SloveniaWorld Cup Hinz, Hammerschmidt, Hildebrand
712 January 2017Germany Ruhpolding, Germany Hinz, Hammerschmidt, Preuss
822 January 2017Italy Antholz, Italy Hinz, Hammerschmidt, Hildebrand
99 February 2017Austria Hochfilzen, AustriaWorld Championships Hinz, Peiffer, Schempp
1017 February 2017Austria Hochfilzen, Austria Hinz, Hammerschmidt, Hildebrand)
112017–1810 December 2017Austria Hochfilzen, AustriaWorld Cup Hinz, Hildebrand, Hammerschmidt
1213 January 2018Germany Ruhpolding, Germany Preuss, Herrmann-Wick, Hildebrand
132018–19 8 February 2019 Canada Canmore, Canada Hildebrand, Hinz, Herrmann-Wick

Overall record

Result Individual Sprint Pursuit Mass start Relay Mixed
relay		 Total
Individual events Team events All events
1st place34114121221335
2nd place–9453118422
3rd place24323–11314
Podiums5171811182512071
4–105131394140545
11–2036641–19120
21–40–723––12-12
41–60111–––3-3
Others––––––--0
DNS1–––––1-1
DNF––––––--0
DSQ–––––1-11
Starts1544402723412627153
* Results in IBU World Cup races, Olympics and World Championships.

References

  1. ↑ "Über mich (German)". Laura Dahlmeier (personal homepage). Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "Martin Fourcade, Laura Dahlmeier win biathlon gold medals". Espn.com. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Laura Dahlmeier Retires". International Biathlon Union. 17 May 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier dead after mountaineering accident in Pakistan". The Globe and Mail. 30 July 2025. Archived from the original on 30 July 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Laura Dahlmeier". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 20 January 2025. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  6. ↑ D'Angelo, Bob (30 July 2025). "Laura Dahlmeier, 2-time Olympic biathlon champion, dies after mountaineer accident". WSOC-TV. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
  7. ↑ "Germany's Dahlmeier wins record fifth biathlon gold". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Olympic champ Laura Dahlmeier dies in mountaineering accident". ESPN. 30 July 2025.
  9. ↑ Die Gier weicht der Ruhe, sueddeutsche, 20190517
  10. ↑ Bachem, J. P. (30 September 2019). Klimagang: Laura Dahlmeier und ihre Freunde im Einsatz für die Natur [The Climate Gang: Laura Dahlmeier and Friends in Action for Nature] (in German). Köln: J.P. Bachem Editionen. ISBN 978-3-414-82560-5.
  11. ↑ Platvoet, Dirk; Velde, Gerard van der; Dick, Jaimie; Li, Shuqiang (January 2009). "Als TV-Expertin – Laura Dahlmeier verstärkt ZDF-Team". Crustaceana. 82 (6): 703–720. doi:10.1163/156854009X423201. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  12. ↑ "Salomon Zugspitz Ultrarail 2019". Plan B Registration. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  13. ↑ "Laura Dahlmeier Siegt beim 11. Karwendelmarsch". Bergsteiger.de. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  14. ↑ "World Long Distance Mountain Running Challenge / Championships – Women individual (41.5 km/+-2184m/84 participants)". World Mountain Running Association. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 Schneider, Tim-Julian (31 July 2025). "Dahlmeiers Seilpartnerin berichtet: Halbe Stunde früher "wären wir sicher runtergekommen"" [Dahlmeier's rope partner reports: Half an hour earlier, "we would have gotten down safely"]. zdfheute.de (in German). Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  16. ↑ "Was über das Dahlmeier-Unglück bekannt ist" [What is known about the Dahlmeier accident]. tagesschau.de (in German). 30 July 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  17. ↑ Ali, Mushtaq (29 July 2025). "German Olympic champion Dahlmeier seriously injured in Pakistan mountaineering accident". Reuters. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  18. ↑ "Rettungsmission eingestellt: Ex-Biathletin Laura Dahlmeier stirbt bei Bergunglück auf 5700 Metern" [Rescue mission called off: Former biathlete Laura Dahlmeier dies in mountain accident at 5,700 metres]. Tagesspiegel.de (in German). 30 July 2025.
  19. ↑ "German Olympic champion Laura Dahlmeier dies after mountaineering accident in Pakistan". The Guardian. 30 July 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  20. ↑ Pfeil, Gerhard (31 July 2025), "Bleibt die Leiche von Laura Dahlmeier für immer am Laila Peak?" [Will Laura Dahlmeier's body remain at Laila Peak forever?], Der Spiegel (in German), ISSN 2195-1349, retrieved 31 July 2025
  21. ↑ Sako, Milan (1 August 2025). "Laura Dahlmeier ist tot: Sie starb bei dem, was sie liebte" [Laura Dahlmeier has passed away: She died doing what she loved]. Ausgsburger Allgemeine (in German). Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  22. ↑ Bengerter, Sandra (26 September 2025). "Dauerhaftes Andenken: Künftig Laura Dahlmeier-Park in Garmisch-Partenkirchen" (in German).
  23. ↑ "Dahlmeiers Leichnam nicht mehr auffindbar" (in German). 16 October 2025.
  24. ↑ International Biathlon Union. Laura Dahlmeier. IBU Datacenter. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  25. ↑ Grohmann, Karolos; Smith, Alexander (17 May 2019). "Double Olympic champion Dahlmeier retires at 25". Reuters. Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  26. ↑ "Laura Dahlmeier, photos". biathlon.com.ua. Retrieved 5 February 2023.