Training accident: Italian skier Matilde Lorenzi dies at the age of 19

A video tells part of Matilde Lorenzi’s story. At the age of 13, the skier gave an interview to the Rai channel in which she talked about how you can promote your own talent: with the courage to take on challenges, which she didn’t yet have at the time. “I’m still a little afraid to ski at high speeds,” Lorenzi said, but she wants to learn and face the fear. She put her plan into action.

In the years since the interview, a talented teenager has developed into one of Italy’s most promising young skiers. Lorenzi drove in the top group in European Cup and Fis races – one and two levels below the World Cup respectively. She was no longer only able to keep up in the giant slalom, but also in the Super-G: she had long since conquered her fear of speed and, it was said, the next steps would soon follow.

The exact cause of the accident is currently being determined

But alpine ski racing is a high-risk sport. During a training run in Val Senales in South Tyrol, Lorenzi fell on Monday and sustained serious injuries. Despite immediate emergency medical care, she died in hospital a few hours later at the age of just 19. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto informed the public at a press conference on Tuesday that Lorenzi had been a member of the army sports group. The exact cause of the accident is currently being determined.

The issue of safety during training runs has been a recurring theme in professional skiing in the past, including after the fatal accident of Frenchman David Poisson, who died while training in Canada in 2017. According to initial findings, the safety precautions along the practice route in South Tyrol were sufficient, but further investigations have been announced.

There is great consternation in Italian sport the day after Matilde Lorenzi’s tragic accident. “We will remember you forever,” said the national ski association Fisi, which condoled Lorenzi’s family and canceled all training runs until further notice. World Cup rider Sofia Goggia shared a photo of Lorenzi and wrote a prayer underneath. And in obituaries, companions remember not only a highly gifted skier who wanted to make the most of her talent, but also a young woman who was interested in photography and fashion, among other things. And whose journey ended far too early on Monday.