Olympic judo star Lubjana Piovesana has tragically revealed her brother’s body has been found, three days after he went missing in Bristol.
More than 100 police officers had been involved in the search for Luis Piovesana, 26, whose sister Lubjana represented Great Britain before switching to the Austrian team.
In a social media post on Monday night, Ms Piovesana wrote: ‘Hello everyone, Luis has been found.
‘We are completely devastated but he has passed away. I am grateful for everyone’s support. And I am so sorry this has happened.
‘Luis was my little brother and loved by everyone. I wish he could have seen the love from everyone.
‘He will be remembered by us all.’
Olympic judo star Lubjana Piovesana has revealed her brother’s body has been found
Luis Piovesana, 26, had gone missing in Bristol in the early hours of Friday morning
CCTV footage captured the 26-year-old walking around Eastgate Retail Park shortly after 3am
A statement from Avon and Somerset Police added: ‘At around 6pm today (Monday 3 March), a dive team was searching the River Frome in the Napier Road area of Eastville, Bristol, when they located a body.
‘While formal identification has not yet taken place, detectives have met with Luis’ family and updated them.
‘Our thoughts remain with them during this incredibly difficult time and they continue to be supported by specialist officers.’
The 26-year-old had disappeared in Bristol early on Friday morning after leaving his sister a distressing voicemail at 3am, saying he was in danger.
Since then, his belongings had been discovered scattered in different locations, heightening fears for his well-being.
Luis was last seen at Eastgate Retail Park, where he arrived by taxi from a venue on Little Ann Street in St. Jude’s – a short 10-minute drive away.
CCTV footage captured him walking around the retail park shortly after 3am, and it’s believed he was heading toward his home in Frenchay.
Mr Piovesana’s family spent the weekend searching for him and asked people to check their gardens and sheds.
At the time of his disappearance, Luis was wearing black baggy jeans with a diamond-patterned design, cream-colored trainers, a black and grey Rapha gilet, and a black Rapha cap
Lubjana announced the devastating news in a social media post on Monday evening
She had earlier taken to social media to call for urgency in the search for her younger brother
Ms Lubjana had taken to social media to call for urgency in the search, highlighting that her brother had no phone, money or bank cards.
The Olympian went on to claim her brother could be injured or in distress during her social media post.
‘Thanks for the overwhelming support at the moment finding Luis. He is still missing though and the next hours are critical, as he is almost 40 hours missing’, she wrote.
‘He was last seen near Ikea in Bristol and heading in the Frenchay direction. He has no phone, wallet, keys or money. He made a call to the police that he was in danger at 3am and was last seen running at 3.30am.
‘Anyone who can share, help look, send any info will be appreciated. He could also have tried to get to Birmingham or gone to Bath. Please help find my brother.’
In a separate post she added: ‘He could be trapped. He could be injured. Please check sheds, garages, and public toilets—anywhere he might have sought shelter from the cold. The next few hours are critical.’
Mounted officers and police drone teams were also involved in the investigation with police divers searching the River Frome near the M32.
Speaking to the PA news agency while the search was ongoing, Ms Piovesana’s partner, Laurin Bohler, said family and friends had travelled from Birmingham to help.
Lubjana is well known for her success in judo. She made headlines at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, battling for bronze in the women’s -63kg category before ultimately finishing fifth.
