A tragic incident has claimed the life of Italian skier Matilde Lorenzi, who passed away following a crash during a training session, as announced by the country’s defense ministry on Tuesday, October 29. Lorenzi was just 19 years old.
The promising young athlete experienced a fatal fall while training on the Grawand G1 slope in Val Senales, a valley located in the mountainous South Tyrol province of northern Italy, near the Austrian border. This information was confirmed by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation in a statement.
The skiing community mourns Lorenzi’s untimely death, honoring her memory and contributions to the sport
In expressing their sorrow, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation extended their deepest condolences regarding the tragic passing of Lorenzi. The federation stated, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Matilde Lorenzi, as announced by the Italian Ministry of Defense, who conveyed heartfelt condolences for the 19-year-old athlete of the Italian Army.
FIS joins FISI President Flavio Roda and the entire Italian winter sports community in mourning, including coaches, athletes, teammates, the federal council, and all FISI staff.” According to the federation, it is “in mourning, standing by her family, friends, and everyone who cherished Matilde, honoring her memory today and always.”
After the incident, Lorenzi was airlifted to a hospital in Bolzano, where she succumbed to her injuries, as reported by Olympics.com. Hailing from Villarbasse, a town in Turin, Lorenzi followed in her sister Lucrezia’s footsteps into the skiing world.
Last season, she earned the title of Italian junior champion and achieved impressive placements, including sixth in the Junior World Alpine Ski Championships and eighth in the world’s super-G competition.
The skiing community has expressed deep sorrow over Lorenzi’s untimely death after the International Ski and Snowboard Federation announced the news on social media.
Various Olympic skiers reacted on social media, including Italian Olympic skier Luca De Aliprandini, Spanish Olympic skier Juan del Campo, and Swiss Olympic skier Michelle Gisin, all sharing broken or black heart emojis in response to the tribute for Lorenzi. Austrian Olympic skiers Philipp Schörghofe, Michaela Kirchgasser, and Nina Ortlieb also joined in expressing their condolences.
Slovakian Olympic skier Andreas Žampa responded with disbelief, posting a broken heart emoji. U.S. Olympian Mikaela Shiffrin shared her condolences, stating, “So much love to her family, friends, and teammates.”
Retired U.S. Olympian Lindsey Vonn described Lorenzi’s passing as “a tragic loss” and paid tribute with a post on her Instagram Stories, offering her thoughts to Lorenzi’s family.
