Russia’s national ski jumping team leader Pavel Karelin dies in car crash

Pavel Karelin, the leader of the Russian national ski jumping team, the winner of World Cup and Summer Grand Prix stage medals, died in a car crash in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast today.

«The tragedy happened in the morning. His airbags failed. Pavel died, while his two friends who were with him in the car are in a grave state. I’m going to Nizhny Novgorod now,» Alexander Svyatov, the coach of the 21-year-old athlete, told Sports.ru.

The accident occurred this morning in Vorotynskiy district of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. The driver lost control of the car and hit a truck at high speed.

Sports.ru condoles with Pavel’s friends and family upon his tragic death.