Matteo Franzoso didn't make it. © Instagram

Sad certainty: Downhill skier Matteo Franzoso is dead

Italy's skiing world is rocked by a tragedy: downhill skier Matteo Franzoso has died after a training crash in Chile.

September 15, 2025

From: sn

A year ago, Italy's skiing world came to a standstill when 19-year-old Matilde Lorenzi died in a training crash in Schnals. Now, the local winter sports scene has been rocked by another tragedy. Matteo Franzoso lost his life at just 25 years old after a crash at a training camp in Chile.

The accident occurred on Saturday in La Parva, Chile, when Franzoso suffered a serious fall during a training run. According to the association, he misjudged a relatively small jump, went off the piste, smashed through two safety nets, and crashed into a wooden fence about seven meters from the track. The young downhill skier was immediately flown to Santiago Hospital with severe head trauma. There, Franzoso was placed in an artificial coma; his condition was critical from the start.

Tuesday would have been his birthday

In the presence of his parents and his brother Michele (a ski instructor himself), the young downhill skier fought for his life in the last few hours. On Monday, one day before his 26th birthday, Italy's winter sports federation finally announced the sad news: Franzoso did not make it.

In February, Franzoso was still competing in World Cup races. © Pentaphoto

Franzoso competed in 17 World Cup races during his career, twice reaching the top 30. He also won a Super-G race in the European Cup in November 2021. Born in Genoa and living in Piedmont for a long time, he was considered a promising young man for Italy's speed team, but now his life has been taken far too soon.

Along with Franzoso, South Tyrolean ski aces Florian Schieder, Dominik Paris, and Christof Innerhofer have also been on the slopes in recent days. They have suspended their training following their teammate's horrific crash. What will happen next remains unclear.