Tragedy in skiing: Matteo Franzoso dies after a heavy fall!

Tragedy in skiing: Matteo Franzoso dies after a heavy fall!

Matteo Franzoso, a 26-year-old Italian downhill, died on September 15 after a tragic training accident in La Parva, Chile. Franzoso had seriously injured in a fall and was flown to Santiago with a rescue helicopter, where he was put into an artificial coma. He succumbed to his injuries one day before his 26th birthday and his death triggered a broad security debate in skiing. Marco Büchel, a skiing end, is critical of the current situation and the measures of the FIS.

Büchel calls for urgent changes to improve security in skiing. He describes Franzoso's death as an urgent memory of the fact that skiing has developed from a dangerous to an extremely risky sport. "Words do not save life," emphasizes Büchel, while demanding concrete measures to protect countless life. The incident caused a sensation and put the FIS pressure to deal with the security questions more intensively.

Request for a security fund

Büchel proposes the construction of a FIS security fund that should help to install security networks in critical places of training slopes. "It is not complicated, but it requires leadership, courage and responsibility," says Büchel. He recommends partial financing by the FIS of 50 to 80 percent of the costs for the necessary security measures.

The FIS expressed in a message that it was deeply dismayed by the death of Franzoso and stated that it would intensify the dialogue with the interest groups. The association also emphasized that the security in skiing has a top priority, even if risks cannot be completely eliminated.

Statistics and security in skiing

Current statistics underpin the demands for more security precautions. According to the annual evaluation center for ski accidents (ASU), the number of injured skiers rose to around 42,000 to 44,000 in the 2022/2023 season. This increasing risk of injuries is alarming, especially since the stationing rate after skiing accidents has also increased. Only about 7,200 to 7,400 skiers needed stationary treatments, which is an increase in comparison to the previous season.

The risk of shoulders and upper arms has increased significantly, from 1.87 to 2.61 each 1,000 skiers. The number of injuries due to collisions has also increased, which is 19.7 percent of the total skiing injuries. These developments make it clear that a critical examination of security standards is indispensable.

In summary, it is clear that the ski industry has to react to the tragic fate of Matteo Franzoso in order to increase security for athletes and leisure skiers. His story should not only have vigilance, but also immediately immediately acts to prevent a similar tragedy in the future.