Italian orienteering athlete Mattia Debertolis, aged 29, passed away on August 12, 2025, in China after collapsing during a race at the World Games in Chengdu.
He was found unconscious during the men’s middle-distance event on August 8 and remained in hospital under expert medical care until his death four days later.
The ordeal took place amid challenging conditions, with sweltering heat and humidity pushing temperatures above 30 °C, adding to the physical strain of the competition.
Despite the fastest possible medical response at one of China’s top hospitals, Debertolis did not recover .
The International World Games Association, the Chengdu Local Organising Committee, and the International Orienteering Federation released a joint notice expressing deep sorrow at the loss and pledged to support Debertolis’s family and the wider orienteering community.
IOF President Tom Hollowell conveyed profound grief over this tragedy .
Debertolis had represented Italy at numerous World Championships and World Cups.
One of his notable achievements was contributing to Italy’s fifth-place finish in the 2022 World Cup Final relay.
riginally from Italy’s Primiero Valley, he grew up engaging in orienteering, cross-country skiing, and football before focusing solely on elite orienteering .
Beyond his athletic career, he was an accomplished civil engineer pursuing a PhD while living in Stockholm, where he was affiliated with the IFK Lidingö orienteering club.
The World Games, held every four years in Chengdu in 2025, bring together sports not featured in the Olympics.
Orienteering requires athletes to navigate through unfamiliar terrains using maps and compasses, demanding both physical endurance and mental agility .
Debertolis’s passing has left a lasting impact on the orienteering world, and organisers have committed to reviewing safety measures—especially regarding extreme heat—to help prevent future tragedies.