Last season in the skiing world, things took a sobering turn as injuries plagued the sport, reinforcing its reputation as one of the riskiest. It was a rough time, especially for star ski racers. Mikaela Shiffrin and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, often seen as the power couple of ski racing, faced some tough moments, and they weren’t alone. Shiffrin’s fierce competitors, Petra Vlhova and Sofia Goggia, also found themselves battling through painful injuries.
Fast forward eight months, and while some of these athletes are gearing up for comebacks, the shadow of injury still looms large. This time, it’s not the familiar faces of the World Cup season making headlines for injuries; instead, a promising Italian skiing talent found herself on the harsh end of the sport’s dangers—tragically paying the ultimate price with her life.
The skiing world grapples with a heartbreaking loss following the death of a rising star
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Last week, the Austrian hills in Sölden kicked off the World Cup season with excitement. However, on October 28, tragedy struck a few hundred kilometers away, along the borders of Italy, Switzerland, and Austria. Reports emerged that 19-year-old Italian skiing phenom Matilde Lorenzi suffered a fall during her speed training session on the steep slopes of Val Senales in Alto Adige.
Matilde, sister of renowned Italian Alpine ski racer Lucrezia Lorenzi, was participating in the training as part of the third national team—without her sister there to support her. Despite her young age, Matilde had already proven her exceptional talent by winning the Italian Junior Super-G title last year. Sadly, she couldn’t escape the accident on Monday. According to the latest reports, Matilde succumbed to her injuries in the early hours of October 29. The skiing world is left reeling—how could this happen?
After the incident, many accounts emerged, recounting the tragic event. A recurring detail in these descriptions was Matilde hitting the icy ground after losing contact with the snow. This naturally raises questions about what happened with her skis. Witnesses noted that while descending the Gravand G1 slope, the high speed caused her skis to spread apart, resulting in a powerful fall that sent her crashing into the ice. Reports claim that she experienced a traumatic brain injury because of that fall.
Fortunately, the medical team was not far away. According to a report from Quotidiano Sportivo, Matilde’s rescue was swift, and she was intubated and airlifted to San Maurizio Hospital in Bolzano. The Carabinieri from the Selva Val Gardena training center also joined in the investigation. Despite these efforts, the sense of loss is profound. At the same time, questions arise about her identity and achievements.
Hailing from the snow town of Turin, Italy, Matilde Lorenzi came to fame last year with her back-to-back victory at the Absolute and Junior Super-G skiing contests in Italy. However, her talented feet did not stop there as soon as she rose through the ranks and challenged the big leagues. And guess what! She found success there as well. Reportedly, last year in December, Matilde took up the eleventh position at the Super-G contest in St. Mauritz. The finishing move fell short of earning a position in the top 10. Yet the acknowledgment and assistance she received from veteran players in the European League contributed to her success. Now, fast forward to March this year.
In March, Matilde Lorenzi shook the leaderboard in the Italian National Championship in Super-G and Giant Slalom. In both contests, the teenager took up the top rank while establishing herself as a potential candidate to uproot records in the diverse field of skiing sports. Her brave acts and talent attracted the Italian Army team to rope her in, promoting her talent for the upcoming days. Nonetheless, the fairy tale stopped just two weeks before Matilde’s 2oth birthday. The severity of the loss shook the big names subsequently.
The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) even issued a condolence note following her passing, proof of how deeply her death has affected the skiing community. The Federation penned down, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Matilde Lorenzi, as announced by the Italian Ministry of Defense, who conveyed heartfelt condolences for the 19-year-old athlete of the Italian Army. FIS joins FISI President Flavio Roda and the entire Italian winter sports community in mourning, including coaches, athletes, teammates, the federal council, and all FISI staff.” The loss stands to be an enormous blow to the sport that often comes under scrutiny because of the number of mishaps. Last season, another Italian ski racer had to face the blow. However, she managed to get away without meeting a similar outcome.
Another Italian skiing tragedy amidst the towering snow giants
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Is skiing's thrill worth the devastating risks, as seen in Matilde Lorenzi's tragic accident?
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In February this year, the skiing communities rubbed their eyes after watching Sofia Goggia’s fall. The phenomenal Italian ski racer met her hard luck during her training on a giant slalom on the Casola track in Ponte di Legno. Initially, her injury didn’t look to be a deeper one. However, the consecutive report confirmed fractures in her tibia and tibial malleolus.
That put the death knell on her chances to continue the season. However, as the leader of the pack in the Downhill World Cup, she had a lot of boxes to fill in. But with her injury, everything fell apart. Soon, Goggia found herself in Milan, waiting for her operation.
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The next few weeks, the skiing star spent in recovery. After all, the doctors had to insert a metal rod in her leg, setting it with seven screws. Meanwhile, that brutal experience proved to be above the tolerance level. From time to time, it shook Sofia Goggia’s patience level, questioning her love for the sport. Yet the Italian star stood up again.
She even came down to compete in another skiing contest in July. How could all those happen so fast? No one had the answer. But Goggia rolled once again through the glissades. Isn’t that something like a fairy tale? But that stands to be the turn of life, giving someone fruits while giving someone tears. However, with all the communities, we also want to put Rip Matilde Lorenzi!
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Is skiing's thrill worth the devastating risks, as seen in Matilde Lorenzi's tragic accident?