French ski racer Cyprien Sarrazin has survived an important operation after his serious fall on the downhill course in Bormio, Italy.
The “nighttime” operation on the head “went well,” the French ski association FFS announced on Saturday morning. In the afternoon, the association announced that Sarrazin was “awake and conscious.”
The 30-year-old’s condition is “stable and he will remain under observation for an indefinite period of time,” said a press release.
Sarrazin suffered an intracranial hematoma when he fell during the final training session on Friday afternoon. This bleeding between two meninges was drained in an Italian hospital in the evening. The 30-year-old was transported by helicopter and, according to the association, admitted to a “neurological intensive care unit”.
Last year’s winner was lifted by a wave in the lower section of the notorious Stelvio piste, hit the hard piste from a height of around three meters and flew into the safety net. At the same place, the Italian Pietro Zazzi suffered a broken tibia and fibula in a fall.
After training, there was strong criticism of the race organizers. Sarrazin’s teammate Nils Allegre in particular made serious allegations. FIS race director Markus Waldner rejected the allegations as unfounded. The men’s Olympic competitions are scheduled to take place on the almost 3.5 kilometer long Stelvio in February 2026.