Tragic Demise of Italian Athlete Mattia Debertolis at the Age of 29 Following Collapse at World Games
In a tragic turn of events, Italian orienteering athlete Mattia Debertolis has passed away following a collapse during the men's middle-distance competition at the World Games in Chengdu, China. The incident occurred on August 8, 2025.
Debertolis, a member of the Italian Orienteering Federation's (FISO) team at the 2025 World Games, was found unconscious on the course. Despite receiving immediate expert medical care at a leading hospital in China, he passed away four days later on August 12.
The exact cause of death has not been publicly disclosed by the event organizers or medical authorities. However, reports suggest that the race took place under hot and humid conditions, with temperatures reaching up to 37°C (98.6°F) on race day.
Mattia Debertolis, born in the Primiero valley in Italy, was a versatile athlete who participated in orienteering, cross-country skiing, and soccer as a youth. His love for navigating led him to choose elite orienteering, a sport where athletes race across an unfamiliar terrain using a map and a compass, challenging their problem-solving and navigation skills against the clock.
Debertolis had a distinguished career, participating in Italy's fifth-place finish at the World Cup Final 2022 Relay and being a mainstay in Italy's national orienteering team for years. He competed in multiple World Championships and World Cups, one of his career achievements on the international circuit.
Tom Hollowell, president of the International Orienteering Federation (IOF), expressed his condolences, stating, "I am not able to adequately describe in words the unfathomable dept of sadness in this tragic loss of life. Our thoughts are with all who mourn Mattia. I encourage the global orienteering community to honor his memory."
In a joint statement, the International World Games Association, the local organizing committee (LOC), and the IOF expressed their condolences. The mountain bike orienteering races being held in Poland will see the awards ceremony with flags at half-mast to honor Debertolis.
Away from competing, Debertolis was also a civil engineer, studying for a PhD at the University of Stockholm, where he lived.
The IOF separately expressed their condolences to Debertolis' family and friends. The death occurred despite immediate medical care at a hospital.
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