Drama on the glacier: talented skier (†19) dies after training accident

Bolzano (Italy) - Great sadness in the Italian alpine skiing team: one of the country's most promising talents has died. Matilde Lorenzi, just 19 years old, died as the result of a bad training crash.

Matilde Lorenzi (†19) succumbed to the serious injuries she suffered in a training crash on Monday.
Matilde Lorenzi (†19) succumbed to the serious injuries she suffered in a training crash on Monday.  © IMAGO/GEPA pictures

The tragic news was broken by the Italian Ministry of Defense in the early hours of Tuesday morning on X.

"The Ministry and Minister Gudio Crosetto express their deepest condolences and embrace the family and colleagues of Matilde Lorenzi, soldier and a promising Italian skier, who tragically passed away after a very serious accident," it said.

Lorenzi fell heavily on Monday during a training run on the Schnals glacier. As reported by the Italian news agency ANSA, she lost contact with the ground after both of her skis were torn apart. She then hit her face on the hard snow slope, which she then slid down.

Coaches and support staff immediately rushed to give the athlete first aid and a helicopter was called in to fly her to hospital in Bolzano, where she was seriously injured.

There she was admitted to the intensive care unit, but the doctors lost the battle to save the young athlete'slife.

Matilde Lorenzi was considered one of Italy's greatest alpine skiing talents

The young downhill skier was regarded as one of Italy's greatest talents.
The young downhill skier was regarded as one of Italy's greatest talents.  © Screenshot/Instagram/mati.lorenzi

The training slope where the terrible accident happened is a well-secured and groomed slope. Superstar Sofia Goggia (31) had also trained there recently.

It is still unclear why the young athlete had such a serious fall around two weeks before her 20th birthday.

She had already celebrated numerous successes in her junior career, including the national title in the giant slalom. In March of this year, she even won the super-G and giant slalom at the active championships.

She had not yet made it into the World Cup, but was on the verge of doing so. She achieved her best result in the European Cup in December 2023 with 11th place in the super-G in St. Moritz.

The police have opened an investigation into the tragic case.