Climbing: French junior world champion in bouldering Luce Douady dies in fall, aged 16
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Luce Douady was the reigning junior world champion in bouldering.
PHOTO: AFP
(REUTERS) - Teenage climber Luce Douady was killed in a fall while exploring cliffs near her home in south-eastern France, the French Mountain Climbing Federation (FFME) has said.
The 16-year-old was with a group of friends when she slipped and fell 150m onto an exposed section of access path while crossing between two climbing areas, it added.
"It is with immense sadness that the climbing community learnt this Sunday (June 14) 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".
