- Sarrazin was skiing on the course that would be used during the 2026 Winter Olympics
- The 30-year-old suffered a serious fall during training in Italy on Friday
- The incident has raised concerns about how safe the Olympic course is
French skier Cyprien Sarrazin has undergone surgery after being taken to intensive care with head injuries following a serious crash on the slopes in Bormio, Italy.
The 2022 Olympian was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma – a bleeding near the brain – after crashing on the slope during the 2026 Winter Olympics.
On Saturday, the French Ski Federation confirmed that the alpine speedster’s brain surgery was successful.
Sazzarin, who won the downhill in Bormio last year, went fastest during the first training on Thursday.
The Frenchman wanted to repeat this feat during the final training session on Friday, but during his run he hit a bump and lost control.
The 30-year-old was launched into the air before landing hard on his back and sliding down the slope before being caught by the safety net.
Cyprien Sarrazin has undergone successful surgery after a skiing accident in Bormio, Italy
The Frenchman hit a bump during a practice session that sent him flying into the air and landing on his back
Sazzarin had to be airlifted to hospital and admitted to intensive care before his surgery
Emergency services on the scene quickly attended to Sazzarin before a helicopter took him to hospital where he was treated.
In a statement, the FFS wrote: ‘Cyprien Sarrazin underwent surgery last night to decompress an intracranial hematoma.
‘The operation went well, but he will remain under anesthesia for the time being. We will give you more information later today.”
Sazzarin wasn’t the only skier airlifted from the course; Italian Pietro Zazzi was also taken to hospital after an incident.
The two crashes have raised concerns among the ski community ahead of the Stelvio slope’s use at the Winter Olympics in just over a year’s time.
Sarrazin’s teammate Nils Allegre has taken aim at organizers over the treacherous nature of the course.
“My opinion here is clear: they don’t know how to prepare a course,” he said. ‘They have been preparing courses for forty years, but they don’t know how to do anything, except dangerous things.
‘Maybe it’s not something everyone agrees with, but it’s my opinion and it’s deeply rooted.
“It’s not right, I don’t know what they are trying to prove, but a year before the organization of the Olympic Games, with a course like this, they don’t deserve to hold the Olympic Games here.”