Italian Skier Matilde Lorenzi Dead at 19 After Serious Crash During Training

Rising Italian skiing star Matilde Lorenzi has died after suffering injuries during training. She was 19.

“The International Ski and Snowboard Federation extends its deepest condolences following the tragic loss of Matilde Lorenzi,” the International Ski and Snowboard Federation said in a statement via Instagram on Tuesday, October 29. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Matilde Lorenzi, as announced by the Italian Ministry of Defense, who conveyed heartfelt condolences for the 19-year-old athlete of the Italian Army.”

“FIS joins FISI President Flavio Roda and the entire Italian winter sports community in mourning, including coaches, athletes, teammates, the federal council, and all FISI staff,” the statement continued.

According to the federation, Lorenzi fell during a training session on the Grawand G1 slope in Val Senales near Italy. Olympics.com reported that the athlete was attended to immediately and taken by helicopter to a hospital in Bolzano, where she died.

The federation stated they are “in mourning, standing by her family, friends, and everyone who cherished Matilde, honoring her memory today and always.”

Soon after Lorenzi’s death was confirmed, many Olympic athletes paid tribute to the rising star on social media.

“This is a tragic loss. Sending my thoughts to her family. 🙏🏻💔,” Lindsey Vonn commented via Instagram. Mikaela Shiffrin added, “So much love to her family, friends, and teammates💔🖤.”

Lorenzi was finding success in skiing after she competed in last year’s Junior World Alpine Ski Championships, where she finished sixth in downhill and eighth in super-G.

She was also proclaimed last season’s Italian junior champion, according to Olympics.com.

Away from the slopes, Matilde enjoyed a close bond with her older sister and fellow skier Lucrezia Lorenzi, who participated in the World Cup and the European Cup.

In a rare social media post, Matilde shared a sibling photo via Instagram with the caption, “🤍Mati & titti.”

When news broke of her sibling’s death, however, Lucrezia shared a different kind of post online.

“With great sorrow, I announce that our Mati has left us,” she wrote via her Instagram Story on Tuesday before inviting friends and fans to a church to pray the rosary.

In her final social media post, Matilde shared snapshots from a recent getaway to Ibiza with fellow skier Federico Tomasoni. On Tuesday, he shared a photo seemingly from a hospital room via his Instagram Story with the words, “You are the most beautiful thing that life could have given me. Ti amo Stellina.”