Cyprien Sarrazin, the prominent French ski racer, faced severe injuries during training for the World Cup downhill event on December 27, 2024, at the challenging Stelvio slope in Bormio, Italy. The 30-year-old star lost control upon entering the final segment of his training run. Witnesses reported he lifted off the ground and landed violently on his back and head from several meters up, resulting in significant injuries.
Immediately after the crash, Sarrazin was evacuated by helicopter, and the training session halted as emergency services tended to the injured athlete. According to the French Ski Federation, he was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma—a serious condition caused by bleeding on the brain—and he was admitted to intensive care where he underwent surgery later the same night.
Multiple athletes encountered severe difficulty at this segment of the course, leading to notable criticism about the slope conditions. Kyle Negomir from the USA and Josua Mettler from Switzerland also fell during this training run, with Mettler being able to ski down to the finish line albeit with some injury. Czech athlete Pietro Zazzi was also airlifted after suffering major fractures.
The concerning conditions of the piste drew sharp responses from fellow competitors. "It's very dark, we don’t see much. Finding and maintaining the right line is incredibly difficult. We know how dangerous this is," remarked Justin Murisier, addressing why conditions at Bormio are notoriously treacherous. Cameron Alexander echoed similar sentiments, calling it "a fight from top to bottom" of the slope.
Nils Allegre, Sarrazin's teammate, attacked the organizers for their handling of the course. “This piste is poorly prepared. There’s no respect for the athletes here,” he stressed during an interview with Eurosport, indicating the heightened risks associated with the course.
FIS race director Markus Waldner made sure to respond to such critiques, stating, “It’s awful. We wish all three injured athletes the very best.” He acknowledged the difficult nature of the course but defended the preparations, asserting, “The track is difficult, one of the hardest, we know this very well.” He deemed the criticism from athletes as “not entirely justified,” emphasizing past efforts of the organizing committee.
According to Waldner, the challenging conditions were partly due to severe winds experienced just before the training, which dried out parts of the surface, complicatively changing the nature of the snow along the track. “I have never met anyone on this planet who can prepare it evenly under such tough weather conditions,” he said, feeling stymied by perennial complaints from athletes about course conditions and insisting this kind of feedback is typical wherever ski competitions are held.
Despite the chaos surrounding the event, Sarrazin's commitment to pushing limits is well-known and has previously earned him accolades on the race circuit, including his surprise triumph at last year's Bormio event, where he captured his first World Cup victory. Marco Odermatt, the current leader of the World Cup circuit and also competing at Bormio, commented, “It’s unfortunate. Something like this can unfortunately happen.” He rejected notions Sarrazin had pushed too far during the run. “He performs tighter turns than others, but this crash didn’t stem from exceeding limits,” Odermatt added, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of such high-risk environments and conditions.
Following the incident, intense speculation about the remainder of Sarrazin's season arose. The likelihood of his participation has significantly diminished, with the French ski federation indicating they would provide updates on his recovery status as it develops.
Clearly, the Bormio incident serves as yet another reminder of the risks athletes face under high-stakes conditions and raises questions about ski course management and safety protocols. Competitors like Murisier, Allegre, and others continue to voice concerns about their safety as they prepare for future races under uncertain conditions and potential danger.
