Life Cut Short by Cancer, Skiing World Loses an Icon at a Very Young Age

An unfortunate moment for the skiing world as former downhill World cup champion, Elena Fanchini passed away on Wednesday. The late Italian athlete was only 37 years old and had been suffering from a tumor. Therefore, hindering her career and keeping her from competing since 2017. 

As per Associated Press, the athlete spent her last few moments at her home in Solato, near Brescia. Notable surfers dedicated their wins and shared heartfelt messages on the unfortunate instance. 

The skiing world shows compassion for Elena Fanchini’s demise.

A recent article by the source revealed that Fanchini competed for the last time in December 2017, after which her health deteriorated and thus, she couldn’t get back to racing. Moreover, she couldn’t participate in the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics. The world lost the great athlete on the 8th of February, 2023.

However, a year after her diagnosis, she was waived a green signal to continue her skiing training. But sadly, she couldn’t regain her full potential. The athlete’s health declined steadily within the past few months. Olympic gold medalist, Sofia Goggia attributed her win in Cortina d’Ampezzo, to Fanchini. 

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G.O.A.T. Mikaela Shiffrin shared on Twitter, “I’m sending my condolences to the whole Fanchini Family, who have had such a strong impact on our sport and world with their passion and kindness.” Reportedly, the 30-year-old icon specialized in the downhill category, aced two World Cup races in her skiing journey, and a silver medal at the 2005 World Championships. Some of the skiing greats mourned the loss.

Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin grieved her demise.

Alpine skiing legends, Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin took to their Instagram handles to offer condolences to the eminent skier’s family with ardent messages. “RIP Elena. What a loss for the whole family and skiing community,” Vonn wrote on her social media update. She was a co-competitor when Fanchini aced the downhill World Cup in 2015. 

Shiffrin shared a joyful moment from one of Fanchini’s championship events and added a sincere caption, “This was a day filled with emotions. There is so much I’d like to share… but what weighs the heaviest is the loss of @elenafanchini85. I’m sending my condolences to the whole Fanchini Family, who have had such a strong and positive impact on our sport and our world with their passion and most importantly, always kindness.” Additionally, she empathized with the entire Italian team for their loss.

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It’s utterly disheartening to witness athletes with such exceptional physical aptitude, lose to ill-fated circumstances. Elena Fanchini shall be remembered and cherished by the surfing community and the sports world as a whole.