The orienteer Audun Heimdal fell asleep quietly with his family around him on Saturday. He lived to be 25 years old.
Updated just now
The Norwegian Orienteering Association informs about Heimdal’s passing in a press release on Sunday.
Heimdal was a national team runner in both orienteering and ski orienteering. He passed away after a long illness.
– He was a fantastic person in the environment and that there are a lot of O-runners in Norway who have been sad this week here, says president of the Norwegian Orienteering Association, Leif Størmer, to VG.
Despite his young age, Heimdal had an impressive career with WC gold in ski orienteering and WC silver in orienteering, as well as a double-digit number of NM gold on his merit list.
Just under a year ago, he was in a separate class during the NM week in orienteering. There he won the intermediate distance by two minutes, before winning the relay the next day for another gold.
– With Audun, Norwegian orienteering has lost a fantastic athlete and person. Audun was not the one who shouted the loudest or took up the most space, but with his demeanor he has been a great role model for those around him. Both in the club Konnerud, where he grew up, and now in recent years in NTNUI and on the national teams, says Størmer in a statement.
– Audun has meant a lot to many people, and he will be sorely missed, he continues.
A clearly affected Olav Lundanes struggles to find the words when he comments on the passing of his former teammate.
– He was primarily a good teammate and a good friend. He was a talented O-runner and a very good person, says Lundanes to VG.
– It has been less than a year since he dominated the NM. It is completely unreal and terrifying. A healthy boy in his prime.
Lundanes was familiar with Heimdal’s disease, but says that he was hopeful.
– I knew it was serious, but I thought it would go well with a young and healthy athlete.
