Alpine skiing: Bad fall: ski star Sarrazin in intensive care

Great concern for ski racer Cyprien Sarrazin. The Frenchman fell badly during downhill training in Bormio. According to the French federation, the 30-year-old was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma, a hemorrhage near the brain. He was said to be in the neurological intensive care unit of an Italian hospital. Meanwhile, there was anger among skiers about the condition of the route.

Sarrazin lost control on a bump, hit the infamous Stelvio slope with enormous force, slid down the slope and landed in the safety net. He was treated and taken away by helicopter.

“Really bad”: Allegre complains

The slope was prepared “really badly,” said Sarrazin’s teammate Nils Allegre at Eurosport. That is not respectful to the athletes. Bormio does not deserve to host the Winter Olympics in February 2026, said the 30-year-old. The alpine men’s races are scheduled to take place on the Stelvio at the event in just over a year.

The route is considered one of the most difficult and dangerous in the World Cup. Swiss superstar Marco Odermatt described it as a “fight for survival”. This year the conditions appear to be particularly challenging. The drivers would hate the transitions from particularly icy to more aggressive sections with artificial snow, explained Odermatt.

Sarrazin caused a sensation last winter and, among other things, won the two downhill runs on the legendary Streif in Kitzbühel. He also triumphed in Bormio. Two men’s races will take place there this weekend – a downhill on Saturday and a super-G on Sunday.