Death at The World Games! A Tragedy in the World of Sports
The devastating news arrived on the night of August 11-12. Mattia Debertolis was a civil engineer by profession, but had been competing in orienteering for years. Sadly, the Trentino-born athlete died four days after competing in the World Games, a non-Olympic sport held in Chengdu, China.
Tragedy at The World Games! Mattia Debertolis diesWhat exactly happened on the competition course during TWG 2025? The orienteering race took place last Wednesday. It was the men's middle-distance competition.
The Italian rider was found unconscious on the course in a forested area. It's worth noting that emergency medical services responded quickly to the scene. The rider was transported to the hospital, where he received additional treatment. Unfortunately, Debertolis's condition deteriorated rapidly, and his life could not be saved.
According to international media reports, Wednesday's orienteering competition was held in abnormal conditions. Extreme heat prevailed, with temperatures reaching as high as 43 degrees Celsius.
Debertolis was a leading orienteering competitor, competing in World Championships and World Cups, among others. Among his greatest successes was a fifth-place finish in the relay at the 2022 World Cup Finals. That same year, Debertolis also won the Italian Championship title in both the long and middle distances.
Mattia Debertolis died at the age of just 29. Those who remember him emphasize that he was a role model for many younger players. For years, he had been passionately representing Italy at major international events around the world. The World Games, in the context of his discipline, were a defining moment in his career.
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