Italian Racer in Critical Condition After Crash
Ski racing fans again face concern for an athlete’s health. Italian speed specialist Matteo Franzoso crashed during training in La Parva, Chile, and suffered severe head trauma. First responders treated him on the slope before a helicopter flew him to a hospital in Santiago. Franzoso, who turns 26 on Tuesday, now remains in intensive care in an induced coma, according to the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI).
Details of the Accident
Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Franzoso crashed after a jump, slid under the safety net, and hit a windbreak or avalanche barrier behind it. Skinews.ch confirmed the information, citing his condition as “critical.” FISI officials said their Medical Commission is in direct contact with Chilean doctors and will provide updates when available. Italian media also reported that Franzoso’s parents are traveling to Chile.
Franzoso’s Career
Franzoso raced in four World Cup downhills and three World Cup super-Gs last season. He scored World Cup points once, finishing 30th in the Crans Montana super-G. At the 2020 Junior World Championships in Narvik, Norway, he finished fourth in the downhill, just two hundredths of a second off the podium.
Recent Similar Accidents
Franzoso’s crash follows other recent head injuries in ski racing. In December 2024, French skier Cyprien Sarrazin crashed during downhill training in Bormio. He sustained a subdural hematoma and required an induced coma, but he has since resumed training and plans to return in 2026–27.
Czech racer Tereza Nova suffered even more serious injuries in Garmisch earlier this year. Doctors kept her in an induced coma for weeks after she sustained traumatic brain injuries, bleeding, a carotid artery injury, and a fractured eye socket. Nova, now in a wheelchair and partially paralyzed on her left side, continues to fight to walk again—and hopes one day to ski again.
About the Author: Peter Gerber Plech
