Olympic champion after horror fall
“I could have been paraplegic”
02/05/2026 – 7:16 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
About two months ago, Michelle Gisin had a serious fall. As a result, she also misses the Olympic Games. Now the Swiss woman has commented on her accident for the first time.
Ski racer Michelle Gisin spoke for the first time about her serious fall in St. Moritz in December 2025. Referring to the injuries she sustained to her left knee, cervical spine and right wrist, the 32-year-old told the Swiss daily newspaper “Blick”: “All three construction sites are progressing very well.”
However, Gisin also made it clear how lucky she ultimately was with the accident during downhill training on the Corviglia slope. “The doctors told me it was incredibly close,” she explained regarding the cervical spine injury. “I could have been paraplegic. And paralysis at this height – that idea hit me brutally.”
The Swiss will now miss the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. It is unclear whether Gisin will even race again. “Until I’m back on skis, I’ll remain an athlete,” she said, but also emphasized: “Only then will I make a decision. I have every opportunity to get completely healthy again – I’m very grateful for that.”
She wants to get fit again, says Gisin. The 2027 home World Cup in Crans-Montana serves as motivation for the deer. “But whether I will actually be there is completely open. I know that my path is still long.”
What is certain is that she and her partner Luca de Aliprandini want to get married in a few months. “I’m currently setting myself a lot of interim goals,” says Gisin. “And at some point I’ll go on vacation with Luca. And then we’ll get married in the summer.” She has been in a relationship with the Italian ski racer since 2014.
