Orienteering New Zealand would like to acknowledge the untimely passing of Italian orienteer Mattia Debertolis at the World Games in August 2025. It has deeply impacted all orienteers. Born: 4 August 1996, in Feltre, Italy, as a youngster he enjoyed cross-country skiing and playing soccer before dedicating himself to orienteering.

In 2017, he won two golds (sprint and long distance) at the Under‑21 Mediterranean Championships in Turkey. He competed for IFK Lidingö SOK (Sweden) and in the Park World Tour Italia, he served as one of the team captains. Internationally since 2013, we can see results  in the World Championships, European Championships, and World Cups. A notable result: 5th place with Italy in the 2022 World Cup Relay Final.

The orienteering and wider community celebrated his sporting dedication, academic achievements, and his humble, kind-hearted character. He had earned a civil engineering degree from the University of Trento, and recently, he was pursuing a PhD at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

On 8 August 2025, during the men’s middle-distance orienteering event at the World Games in Chengdu, China, Mattia collapsed and was found unconscious. Despite swift medical care, he passed away on 12 August 2025 at a Chengdu hospital, aged 29. The race took place under extreme heat and high humidity, with temperatures reported up to around 43 °C. It has raised concerns about the strain of hot temperatures on competitors. 

At the International World Games Association (IWGA) in Chengdu, flags were lowered, and events were held in his honour. Luciano Buonfiglio, The President of Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (CONI), interpreted the sentiments of the entire sports movement, as he joined the condolences of the family and the Italian Sport Orientamento Federation for the premature and painful loss of Mattia, an athlete who, through his passion for orienteering, representing Italy in the best way –  in the world.

Sources: IOF, IWGA,  Wikipedia, Reuters, World of O, BBC, CNN,  Pro Sport Media, The Atlantic, South China Morning Post, CONI