A skier has died while competing in the 30km Avachinsky Marathon in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy after striking a tree during Sunday's endurance race, according to reports accompanied by footage which appeared to show a horror crash.
The unnamed participant is understood to have been killed while taking part in the race, with purported footage of the alleged tragedy uploaded to social media showing an incident in which a skier loses control as they navigate a right turn before crashing directly into a tree.
Two other skiers also lost control on the bend but appeared to have escaped uninjured.
The athlete who struck the tree lay prone on the snow for a few moments before another skier subsequently collided with him. Several onlookers then proceeded to rush towards the scene.
Reports also said that the man who passed away represented the Russian city of Krasnodar and had previously lived close to the location of the race.
Skiers had been required to provide a doctor's note to say they were in full health prior to the race, with competitors also needing to produce a negative Covid-19 test result, as well as a certificate to prove they had been vaccinated against the virus.
Further information about the situation is not yet known, with neither race organizers nor police issuing a statement as of early Sunday afternoon.
