Italy’s Olympic skier Elena Fanchini dies aged 37 from cancer
The 2005 world silver medallist took part in three Winter Olympic Games and officially retired only three years ago.
Alpine Skiing
A three-time Winter Olympian in alpine skiing, Elena Fanchini, has passed away on Wednesday (8 February) at the age of 37 following a serious illness, the Italian Winter Sports Federation said in a statement.
Fanchini last time competed in December 2017 and missed the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 to undergo cancer treatment.
She was cleared to return to train nearly one year later but the Italian struggled with injuries and officially announced her retirement in 2020 along with her sister Nadia.
In her career, the Lovere native took two World Cup wins (2005, 2015) and won a silver medal in downhill at her home World Championships in 2005 in Bormio.
The news of her death cut celebrations short in the Italian camp in Meribel, France, where Fanchini’s former teammates Federica Brignone and Marta Bassino won world titles on Monday and Wednesday.
Just a few weeks ago, Sofia Goggia dedicated her win in Cortina d'Ampezzo to Fanchini, whose condition had grown worse in the last few months.