Two days after the horror accident
Next serious fall at the World Cup race in Bormio
12/29/2024 – 1:14 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Just two days after Cyprien Sarrazin’s serious fall, another incident occurred in Bormio. Another athlete had to be transported away by helicopter.
The alpine ski route in Bormio, Italy, is once again attracting attention. After Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin’s heavy fall on Friday, a violent fall also occurred in the Super-G race on Sunday. The affected person is the Swiss Gino Caviezel, who had a serious fall shortly after the start of the race and was flown to hospital.
Caviezel opened the competition at 11:30 a.m. But on the demanding route he lost control in an uphill section, entered a gate and lost his right ski. The 32-year-old slid several hundred meters across the icy slope, but his left ski didn’t come off. When he finally came to rest, Caviezel immediately called for help in pain and held his knee.
The race was immediately stopped, just 48 seconds after Caviezel’s start. Helpers looked after the athlete before he was taken to hospital by helicopter. The race continued after around 20 minutes.
Caviezel’s fall is the second serious accident in just three days. Frenchman Cyprien Sarrazin suffered a serious head injury during training on Friday and had to undergo brain surgery. Sarrazin was temporarily in an induced coma, but is now conscious again.
The dangerous conditions sparked some strong criticism. The Frenchman Nils Allègre made a clear statement to “Eurosport”: “You don’t respect the athletes. It’s not correct to have to start under such conditions. They don’t know how to prepare a slope.”
Olympic champion Marco Odermatt is also critical of the route: “You come here knowing full well that it won’t be a Christmas holiday. It’s a fight for survival.”
The downhill run in Bormio is considered one of the most demanding routes in the World Cup. It is around three kilometers long, with top speeds of up to 140 km/h. The athletes are equipped with airbags that are deployed in the event of a fall and are intended to protect the spine – but accidents like those of the past few days show that even the most modern equipment does not protect athletes from serious injuries.
The route will also be used at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.