He flew off a bump before bouncing violently on the slope: French skier Cyprien Sarrazin victim of a heavy fall in training

Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin suffered a heavy fall this Friday, December 27 during the second training session before the World Cup downhill in Bormio (Italy), which he won just a year ago.

Sarrazin, best time in the first training session the day before, lost control of his skis in the final while he was in the lead at all intermediate points. The 30-year-old skier literally flew off a bump and then bounced violently on the slope, before ending his race in the tarpaulins and protective nets after a long slide.

The Frenchman, world No.2 in downhill and winner of four races last winter, was joined by the emergency services. After 20 minutes, he was evacuated by helicopter.

In a brief press release, the French Ski Federation indicated that Sarrazin “was conscious”: “He will carry out examinations”, indicated a spokesperson for the FFS.

“I think it’s not respectful for us athletes”

According to the Eurosport channel, the French skier complained of pain in one foot. A downhill on Saturday and a super-G on Sunday are on the program for the Bormio stage, one of the most difficult tracks on the circuit where the men's alpine skiing events of the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan Cortina will take place.

“The track is very icy, with very dark portions in terms of visibility, it's a big change compared to Val Gardena (station where the previous speed stage took place, Editor's note), we know the dangers of this track “, Swiss Justin Murisier explained on Eurosport.

“My opinion is clear, it is that they do not know how to prepare a slope,” lamented French skier Nils Allègre. Adding: “They've been preparing tracks for 40 years, but they don't know how to do anything except dangerous things […] I think it's not respectful for us athletes […] One year away from organizing the Olympic Games, doing a track like that, they don't deserve to have the Olympic Games here.”

Since the start of the season, Cyprien Sarrazin's best result is a 2nd place in the super-G in Beaver Creek (United States) at the beginning of December. But he had to settle for a 9th place in downhill in Colorado and a 17th, still in downhill, his discipline now strong, in Val Gardena.

Last winter, Sarrazin launched his season, the best of his career, by dominating the Bormio descent to sign his second World Cup victory, the first after seven years and his success in parallel. “It’s certain that in Bormio, I’m going to have good memories that will come back,” he explained during a press briefing on Monday. “It’s a place that will stay in my memory for a long time. There will be “Excitement, the desire to go there, we're going there to create a new story this year.”