Photo of Legkov before his death.
BEIJING, Feb. 6 — The International Biathlon Union announced that former biathlon world champion Hubert Leitgeb from Italy died in an avalanche in northeastern Italy at the age of 46.
It is reported that Leitgeb was skiing with his brother-in-law in Tyrol (a region spanning the western Alps of Austria and northern Italy) when they were caught in an avalanche. Their bodies were later found by rescue personnel in the mountain area.
Leitgeb won two team gold medals at the Biathlon World Championships in 1991 and 1994, and also claimed a bronze medal in 1996. He retired in 1998, then worked as a coach. In 2007, he was elected as a technical official of the Biathlon Union.