Italian athlete dies after collapse at World Games

Italian orienteer Mattia Debertolis has died aft collapsing during nan World Games successful China past week.

The 29-year-old was recovered unconscious by organisers during an orienteering arena past Friday successful Chengdu.

The Italian died connected Tuesday - 4 days aft his collapse.

"Despite receiving contiguous master aesculapian attraction astatine 1 of China's starring aesculapian institutions, he passed away," World Games organisers said successful a statement.

International Orienteering Federation (IOF) President Tom Hollowell said he was "not capable to adequately picture nan unfathomable extent of sadness successful this tragic nonaccomplishment of life".

Debertolis' origin of decease is chartless astatine this stage.

The World Games is simply a multi-sport arena held each 4 years for events that are not listed successful nan Olympics.

Debertolis was taking portion successful nan last of nan men's middle-distance event, which took spot successful temperatures supra 30 degrees, erstwhile he collapsed.

Orienteering is an outdoor athletics successful which participants person to navigate betwixt unmarked checkpoints utilizing a map.

It combines beingness activity pinch map-reading and problem-solving.

The Italian was 1 of 12 athletes listed arsenic "Did Not Finish" successful nan charismatic results.

He was portion of nan Italian nationalist squad and vanished 5th successful nan 2022 World Cup final.

Debertolis, who was qualified arsenic a civilian engineer, resided successful Sweden and was studying for a PhD astatine a assemblage successful Stockholm.

World Games organisers said they will "continue to support nan family of Debertolis and nan orienteering organization successful each imaginable way."