Julia Schneemann | September 26, 2025

The death of Italian ski racer Matteo Franzoso during a downhill training run in La Parva, Chile, has unleashed a wave of grief and a growing chorus of demands for change in how the sport—and specifically the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) manages risk. Franzoso, 25, died September 19 after a high-speed fall during downhill training—an accident that has sharpened scrutiny on training tracks, safety infrastructure, and the responsibilities of not just the Italian Ski Federation FISI, but also global organization FIS.

Earlier this week, the skier’s body was flown home to Italy and honored at a funeral in Sestriere, where he had grown up and first learned to ski. In the week since, athletes (past and present), coaches, and advocacy groups have spoken with unusual urgency about what must change if ski racing is to avoid more tragedies. It is the fourth death of a young athlete during training in the last 12 months and the third on the Italian team.

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Reposted from SnowBrains

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