• American was caught up in avalanche in Japan on Sunday
• One other unidentified man died in accident

Kyle Smaine, a former halfpipe world champion skier, died in an avalanche in Japan on Sunday, his family have confirmed.

The 31-year-old, who won the halfpipe world title in 2015, had travelled to Japan from his home in Lake Tahoe, California, on a work trip where, according to an Instagram post, he was looking forward to the “unbelievable snow quality”.