Olympic Snowboarder Sophie Hediger, 26, Dies in Swiss Avalanche

Switzerland's Sophie Hediger competes during the women's snowboard cross qualification round at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Zhangjiakou, China, on Feb. 9, 2022. Aaron Favila/AP Photo

Swiss Olympic snowboarder Sophie Hediger, 26, died in an avalanche at the Arosa mountain resort in Switzerland on Monday, according to the country’s skiing federation.

Hediger, a rising star in the snowboard cross discipline, had recently achieved her first two World Cup podium finishes in the 2023–24 season. Her career-best result was a second-place finish in St. Moritz in January, according to Swiss-Ski.