“We had a few difficult hours”: the Blues staff feared for the life of Cyprien Sarrazin

While skier Cyprien Sarrazin begins a long convalescence, ten days after his fall on the Bormio slope in Italy, the president of the French Ski Federation took the time to return this Sunday evening to the circumstances of the accident.

Guest of the show “On refait le sport” on RTL in partnership with “Le Parisien”, Fabien Saguez, then confided to having feared for the life of the descender, in the hours which followed his serious accident. “We had a few difficult hours following his fall,” he admitted. Immediately after his fall, although there was a slight loss of consciousness, he was relatively lucid. It’s rather the fact that… the time of evacuation, of arriving at the hospital, of doing the first examinations… and it was from that moment on that his condition deteriorated a little bit and that the decision was made to operate. »

“There was a little moment of warmth, image Fabien Saguez. We don’t like to see these kinds of falls. I’ve been accompanying skiers for over twenty years, every time we have this kind of situation, we all don’t feel very good. » Asked about the state of the Italian track, which is to host the downhill events of the next Olympic Games in February 2026, and about the criticisms made by certain skiers to the organizers, the former national technical director of the Blues made some suggestions.

“The airbag protected his entire trunk”

“Could we have better optimized the preparation on the track? Could the organizer, the International Federation, have done better? Maybe, he admits. One thing is certain, there are perhaps some small reflexes to be had. This track is very long, it is very demanding physically. When we see that the conditions are very tough as was the case, (…) we can actually imagine shortening the track, trying routes that we don’t usually use. »

“I think that in the context of Cyprien’s fall, and of quite a few athletes in Bormio, it was not the equipment that was lacking but rather the quality of the snow,” he added. (…) The airbag clearly protected Cyprien, it protected his entire trunk. »

As indicated by Stéphane Bulle, doctor of the French ski teams this Saturday January 4 by videoconference, Cyprien Sarrazin was repatriated to France at the end of last week and is gradually beginning his rehabilitation. “He will start to recover his skills by starting with walking, getting up, and all the everyday gestures,” confirmed Fabien Saguez this Sunday evening.

For his speed teammates, the return to the World Cup circuit will take place in Wengen within ten days. Last year, Cyprien Sarrazin had two podiums there with a second place in downhill and a victory in Super-G.