16-year-old world champion French climber Douady dies in fall

June 16

Teenage climber Luce Douady was killed in a fall while exploring cliffs near her home in southeastern France, the French Mountain Climbing Federation (FFME) has said.

The 16-year-old was with a group of friends when she slipped and fell 150 meters on to an exposed section of access path while crossing between two climbing areas, it added.

"It is with immense sadness that the climbing community learned this Sunday of the death of one of their own," the FFME said on its website.

"Luce was a very promising young athlete from the French climbing team. At only 16, the future was before her. Today, the whole federation is in mourning."

Douady was the reigning junior world champion in bouldering, a climbing discipline that will be part of next year's Tokyo Olympics.

She made her first foray into senior competition last year, placing fifth at the Bouldering World Cup in Vail, Colorado.

The International Federation of Sport Climbing described her as a "brilliant and talented athlete", while her club Chambery Escalade said it was mourning the loss of, "a young woman full of energy, passions and talents" who was a "beautiful person". — Reuters