Italian โคskierโ Matteo Franzoso has died following a crash during training in Chile, theโ Italian โWinter Sports Federation (FISI) announced today, September 15, 2024. He was 25 years oldโ adn would have turned 26 tomorrow.
Franzoso sustained critical โinjuriesโค after โคfalling during aโฃ jump on Saturday, breaching two safety nets and colliding with a fence. He was initially hospitalized in Santiago and placed in a medically induced coma,but doctors were unable to save his life. The loss marks a second tragedy for Italian skiing within a year, raising renewed concerns about athlete safety.
Aโค promisingโข talent in his youth, Franzoso โฃachieved fourth place in โthe โdownhill at the โค2020 Junior World Championships and wonโค a super-G race in the European Cup in 2021. While he competed inโฃ 17โค World Cup events, his best result โwas a 28th-place finish โคin a super-G race in 2023.
“ItSโข a tragedy for โhis family and forโค our sport,” said FISI chairman Flavio Roda, referencing โขthe death ofโ fellow italian skierโค Matilde Lorenziโ last October. “It is absolutely necessary to do everything toโ prevent these โkinds of accidents.”
Lorenzi, 19, died from โinjuries sustained in a training fall. Italy is scheduled to host โคthe Winter Olympics next year, though โFranzoso was not considered a likely participant, having not ranked โขamong the โtop ten Italian skiers โคinโข world Cup competitions last season.