Sarrazin doubts return: “I almost died”

French downhill star Cyprien Sarrazin is not sure whether he will return to the Alpine Ski World Cup. The 30-year-old is still struggling with the consequences of his serious fall in Bormio.

March 04, 2025

From: dpa/sn

The athlete, who suffered a serious fall on December 27 during training for the Bormio downhill, said on Monday in Marseille that it was "a small miracle" that he had recovered so well and so quickly. Sarrazin hit the hard slope with his back and head from a great height. He suffered a brain haemorrhage. Emergency surgery and an artificial coma were the result.

"I almost died," said Sarrazin. His quick recovery was a "miracle." Shortly after the turn of the year, he was brought back to France. The rehabilitation phase has been underway since then. He is aware that he was "not far from a catastrophe," said the five-time winner of World Cup races. That is why he sees the "positive side."

Sarrazin still sees double

There were no neurological consequences, but he still sees double sometimes. He can still feel his knee and back. "One of my goals is to get back into sport," said Sarrazin. However, he could not say when that might be. "Skiing again, yes. But as a competitor? I don't know." Until his fall, he was considered a winning skier and a great speed competitor to the Swiss Marco Odermatt. Last season, Sarrazin won the downhill races in Bormio, Wengen and both in Kitzbühel.