Italian orienteering athlete Mattia Debertolis has died after collapsing during competition at the World Games in Chengdu, China, organisers confirmed on Tuesday.
Debertolis, 29, was found unconscious during the men’s middle-distance orienteering final on August 8 and died four days later, according to a joint statement by the World Games organisers and the International Orienteering Federation (IOF).
“Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at one of China’s leading medical institutions, he passed away,” the statement read. No cause of death was disclosed.
The event took place about 50 kilometres (30 miles) outside central Chengdu, under intense heat and humidity, with temperatures exceeding 30°C. Orienteering requires competitors to navigate an unmarked course using a map and compass, checking in at specific points along the route in the shortest possible time.
Switzerland’s Riccardo Rancan won the event in 45 minutes and 22 seconds. Debertolis, listed as “Did Not Finish” alongside 11 other athletes, had been competing internationally since 2014. Ranked 137th in the men’s Orienteering World Rankings, he represented Italy in multiple World Championships and World Cups.
This year marks the 12th edition of the World Games, a multi-sport event for disciplines not featured in the Olympics, running until August 17.
World Games organisers and the IOF pledged to “continue to support the family of Mattia Debertolis and the orienteering community in every possible way.”
AFP
