Promising ski champ Matilde Lorenzi dead at 19 after training crash

Matilde Lorenzi, a 19-year-old champion skier from Italy, died from injuries she sustained during a skis accident, nan International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) announced Tuesday.

Lorenzi was training connected nan Schnalstal Glacier connected Monday erstwhile she fell and deed her caput connected nan difficult piste and suffered a traumatic encephalon injury.

“We are profoundly saddened by nan passing of Matilde Lorenzi,” nan statement said successful their statement. “FIS joins FISI [Italian Winter Sports Federation] President Flavio Roda and nan full Italian wintertime sports organization successful mourning, including coaches, athletes, teammates, nan national council, and each FISI staff.”

“[Lorenzi] was tragically mislaid pursuing a autumn during a training convention connected nan Grawand G1 slope successful Val Senales,” nan statement reported. 

Lorenzi was airlifted to a infirmary successful adjacent Bolzano aft her autumn but did not retrieve from nan injuries to her head.

Her passing was announced soon aft by nan Italian National Defense Ministry, to which she was attached arsenic a sports soldier— a personnel of nan subject who is financed by nan state. 

“This is simply a tragic loss,” gold-medal skier Lindsey Vonn wrote connected Instagram. “Sending my thoughts to her family.”

A autochthonal of Villarbasse, a comune successful nan Italian Metropolitan City of Turin, Lorenzi made her world debut astatine a inferior title successful Santa Caterina Valfurva successful 2020.

During her nascent master career, she competed almost exclusively successful FIS races passim Italy. 

Lorenzi was crowned nan Italian champion successful nan Super-G convention pursuing nan 2023-24 play and she doubly vanished among nan apical 15 successful nan European Cup.

She besides took portion successful nan 2024 Junior World Championship successful nan Haute-Savoie department, wherever she vanished 4th successful nan Alpine Team Combine.

“FISI is successful mourning, opinionated by her family, friends, and everyone who cherished Matilde, honoring her representation coming and always,” nan FIS said.