German biathlete Laura Dahlmeier died in a serious mountain accident on Laila Peak in the Karakoram Mountains at an altitude of around 5,700 meters (Pakistan) on 28 July 2025. The 31-year-old devoted herself to alpine mountaineering after the end of her biathlon career. On her last tour, she was hit by a falling rock and succumbed to her serious injuries.
We are deeply saddened. The sports world has lost not only a true champion in Laura Dahlmeier, but also a kind and inspiring human being.
Dahlmeier was on an adventurous expedition with her rope partner and had already successfully climbed the Great Trango Tower (6287 m) on July 8, 2025. Laila Peak, a challenging and difficult-to-access pyramid, was to be the expedition's second goal. However, while abseiling down the steep descent, Dahlmeier was hit by a falling rock. Her rope partner immediately made an emergency call and tried in vain to reach her. However, due to the dangerous conditions with further falling rocks, she was unable to get any closer to the injured Dahlmeier.
Rescue was initially not possible due to the extreme weather conditions and the high risk of further rockfall. The rescue helicopter did not reach the scene of the accident until the morning of July 29. No signs of life were found during a flyover. The rescue operation was then temporarily suspended. On the evening of July 29, the rescue operation had to be finally called off due to darkness. Dahlmeier's rope partner remained unharmed and was accompanied back to base camp by other climbers.
Laura Dahlmeier's family announced in a statement that it had been their wish that no one would risk their lives to rescue her in the event of an accident. This wish has been respected and Dahlmeier's body is to remain at Laila Peak.
Laura Dahlmeier was a true gift to sport and to life. She did something no woman had done before at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, and that is gold in both the Sprint and Pursuit biathlon. IOC President, Kirsty Coventry said, “Laura made history at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics as the first female biathlete to win sprint and pursuit gold at the same Games edition. She will be remembered forever. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very difficult time.” She showed her skills on the world stage with elegance and grace.
What made Laura special was not just her medals, but her quiet strength. She stood on the podium with humility. She never bragged. She simply let her hard work speak. She was a star who stayed grounded, and reached heights not many could even think of. Her presence inspired thousands to believe in themselves and chase their own dreams.
In 2019, a year after her heroics at the Olympics, Laura surprised everyone by announcing her retirement at just 25. She had won it all. Yet she stepped away. Why? She wanted more from life than medals. On Instagram, her team wrote, “It’s worth standing up for your dreams … and always staying true to yourself.” She chose a life full of purposes.
Laura became a mountain guide. She spoke at events. She helped young people find direction. She did good things quietly. For her, real joy was in real connections, not in temporary fame or social media attention. She didn’t follow a script, she rather made and followed her own path to success.
I am looking for a certain challenge in life. Just going on a beach vacation would be too boring for me. Of course, the risk is higher on the mountain. But it gives me a lot of strength.
Nature was Laura’s first love, even before biathlon. She loved peaceful moments in the mountains, as she felt free there. Sadly, she died on July 28 doing what she loved most, i.e., climbing a 5,700-meter-high Laila Peak in the Karakoram Range.
Her management said in an official statement on Instagram,
We say goodbye to a great person. Laura enriched our lives … with her warm and straightforward manner.
She made people around her smile. She lifted others with her kindness and courage. One of her brand partners, Adidas, shared,
The Adidas family is filled with deep sorrow at the loss of Laura Dahlmeier. Laura reminded us that strength is not just measured in speed or medals, but in the courage to stand up, speak out, and care deeply. She left behind not only a trail of victories, but a world made better by her presence.
The sudden death of Laura Dahlmeier is a great loss for the sporting world. She will be remembered as a passionate athlete and person. The Dahlmeier family remembers her as a "great person" who enriched the lives of many with her warm and ambitious nature. Her family and friends are grateful for the shared memories that give them strength even in these difficult times.
The tragic news leave a lasting legacy in the biathlon world and also in mountain sports. The German Ski Association wrote:
She was not only one of the most successful athletes in the history of the German Ski Association, but also an extraordinary person full of joie de vivre, courage and warmth - on and off the track. She touched and inspired us with her passion for the sport, her down-to-earth attitude and her infectious laugh.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also had this to say:
Laura Dahlmeier was an exceptional athlete whose international successes in the biathlon not only fascinated and inspired winter sports fans. [...] She was an ambassador for our country in the world, a role model for peaceful, cheerful and fair coexistence across borders. That's how I will remember her, that's how many people in our country will remember her.
Thomas Weikert, President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, said,
The DOSB and the whole of German sport mourn the loss of Laura Dahlmeier.
These words reflect the respect and admiration the Olympic champion earned from fans, athletes, and officials alike.
ISPO.com commemorates Laura Dahlmeier, her career, and her passion for the sport that inspired so many. At ISPO events, we met Laura and felt her spirit. We saw her love for sport and life. We heard her speak with wisdom and warmth. Her presence touched many. Her story gave hope. She lived with purpose and passion.
Laura’s life, from her early career to surprise retirement, reminds us: true greatness is being kind, honest, and humble. She modeled that with every step she took. She was not just a champion in sports, but outside the sports as well. She leaves behind a legacy of courage and compassion.
Our sincere condolences go out to her family, friends and everyone who was touched by her positive energy.
Laura, thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You were more than a champion. You were a friend, a guide, a light. You lived life fully, with passion and grace, showing us that success feels better when it’s shared with kindness.
Your time with us was too short. Yet your light won’t fade at all. You’ll stay among us. An athlete who made history, and a person who made lives better without expecting anything apart from love in return.
Rest peacefully, Laura Dahlmeier. You will be deeply missed but never forgotten.
Noah Lyles announced his Olympic victory in the 200 meters in Paris to great media effect before the race - and lived up to the high expectations. But the sprinter is also present outside of sport: his commitment to Black Lives Matter, his open approach to therapy for his mental health problems and his own rap songs show the exceptional athlete's diverse talent and self-confidence.
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As a footballer and coach, Franz Beckenbauer was a shining light. Following setbacks to his health, things recently became quieter around the “Kaiser”. Now Franz Beckenbauer has passed away at the age of 78. ISPO.com recalls his most important stages and successes as a player and team manager.
World champion as a player in 1974, world champion as team manager in 1990, organizer of the 2006 World Cup - Germany mourns the loss of its greatest soccer legend. On Sunday, January 7, 2024, Franz Beckenbauer lost his last battle at the age of 78. He had been suffering from a number of illnesses for some time, including Parkinson's disease with associated dementia, according to media reports. Due to his irresistible aura, Beckenbauer, who was also awarded the ISPO Cup after winning the 1990 World Cup, was often referred to as a "shining light". The controversies surrounding the awarding of the 2006 World Cup did nothing to diminish this nimbus. It is alleged that millions were paid to bring the tournament to Germany.
"With Franz Beckenbauer, we are losing one of the very first world athletes who, despite all his successes, remained a true Munich native with a heart. An ambassador of sport and a worthy sponsor of the ISPO Cup."
Tobias Gröber, Head of ISPO Group
Franz Beckenbauer's unique career in football began right on his doorstep in Munich's Giesing neighborhood. Because there, in the south of Munich, the sports field of SC 1906 Munich was right in front of the Beckenbauers' apartment. Franz Beckenbauer started playing football there at the age of six, before, at 14, he joined FC Bayern München in 1959 - the club with which he celebrated his greatest successes.
In 1964, at the age of 18, Beckenbauer made his debut in the first Bayern team and quickly became a top performer - initially in midfield, later as a libero with offensive drive. In 1965, together with later stars such as Gerd Müller or Sepp Maier, he led the Bavarians into the Bundesliga for the first time and later to four championships.
From 1974 to 1976 Beckenbauer was the head of the team that won the European Cup three times in a row.
In 1977, Beckenbauer then moved to the USA to play for the New York Cosmos, where he played with Brazil's legend Pele and won the championship three times by 1980.
In 1980, Beckenbauer returned to Germany to Hamburger SV, for whom he played 28 more Bundesliga games until 1982, before he ended his active career after another brief stint at the New York Cosmos in 1983.
After his debut in 1965, Beckenbauer also quickly advanced to become a regular in the national team and then captain. He became world champion with Germany in 1974 and European Champion in 1972. In 1966 he also reached the World Cup final and in 1976 the European Championship final.
As team manager of the German national team from 1984 to 1990, Beckenbauer initially missed out on major titles before he took his leave as world champion with his triumph at the 1990 World Cup in Italy in the final against Argentina and his legendary lonely walk across the field in Rome. Beckenbauer and Brazilian Mario Zagallo are the first two footballers, who became world champions both as a player and a coach.
Beckenbauer took over as interim head coach at FC Bayern twice in the 1990s, winning titles twice: the German championship in 1994 and the UEFA Cup in 1996.
As a player in the men's field:
As a manager:
As a player:
As a manager:
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Imagine, LeBron James was dating Tom Brady and both were vehemently committed to social justice. If women's sports had the same relevance as men's sports, that would be about the scale for the extraordinary relationship of basketball player Sue Bird and soccer player Megan Rapinoe. Even a U.S. president cut his teeth on them.
Many sports careers testify to the excellence, will and talent of the athlete. Few careers become incredible biographies because, in addition to the athletic, they also tell of the human greatness or specialness of the individuals. And then there is the story of Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe: Two extraordinary athletes and personalities who are probably the most influential pair of activists trying to make U.S. society more tolerant, socially just and democratic. Along the way, the two have made it into Vogue, TIME magazine, and the covers of Sports Illustrated and ESPN's Body Issue.
The two lesbians have been married since 2020 and a couple since 2016. They are shaping a new kind of athlete activism that goes beyond occasional statements. This includes advocacy for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, the Black Lives Matter movement, abortion rights and Equal Pay, or non-discriminatory pay.
In an interview with ESPN journalist Katie Barnes, Bird commented, "Female athletes are used to having to fight for themselves.Female athletes are used to being pushed to the side and not having the attention they deserve. And so with that, they're used to using their voices, they're used to having to advocate for themselves, for each other."
So it was Rapinoe who was one of the first athletes* to support former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, kneeling during the U.S. anthem at several games. Rapinoe: "First of all, we're white people in this country, right, so we have privilege. We didn't earn it, but we have a responsibility to, you know, make it even." Continuing, she told Barnes in the same dual interview, "There's a reason Colin Kaepernick is not in the NFL right now and why he was blackballed in the way that he was. I think everybody has a responsibility to do what they can in the most impactful way that they can."
Bird made that impact in 2020, among other years. During the 2020 Senate election, Bird and her teammates spoke out against Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler of Georgia. Loeffler was then co-owner of the Atlanta Dream women's basketball team. Loeffler spoke out against the Black Lives Matter movement. In protest, Bird and her teammates urged people to vote for Loeffler's Democratic opponent. Loeffler lost the election and sold her shares in the team.
Rapinoe also has more than just attention-grabbing successes to her credit. As an openly homosexual woman, she has always made it clear where she stands. Any kind of social injustice is a thorn in the soccer player's side. She has taken a knee to protest racial inequality and has spoken out against mass incarceration with blunt honesty.
She has also worked with teammates for years to advocate for equal pay for U.S. national team players compared to their male counterparts, winning "equal pay" in court.
After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned U.S.-wide abortion rights in 2022, she gave a tearful rant during a U.S. team press conference. She consistently refused to visit then-U.S. President Donald Trump after winning the 2019 World Cup. Even beforehand, she said, "I'm not going to the fucking White House!" Trump's attack against Rapinoe on Twitter was not long in coming. He wrote that Megan should win before she talks. In the end, she not only won the title, but also the small attention duel against the then US president.
As is common for many sports stars, Bird and Rapinoe also have stakes in various companies. Activism is at the heart of these as well. For example, Sue Bird, together with Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim and Simone Manuel, founded the mediahouse "Togethxr" where "representation and equality are the norm." The company produces content that gives greater visibility to women in sports.
Together, the two also founded at the end of 2022 the production company "A Touch More" founded. "As women athletes, we know how influential our own platforms are and the impact we can have on the world," Bird and Rapinoe said in a statement about the company's launch. "'A Touch More' is a manifestation of our values and our desire to make visible the stories of those who shape and advance culture."
