The ski family mourns the loss of a former top skier: Elena Fanchini lost her last race at the age of just 37.
Lovere - Mourning for Elena Fanchini: The former top skier from Italy died at the age of 37.
She lost the battle with cancer.
Elena Fanchini |
* April 30, 1985 in Lovere; † February 8, 2023 in Solato (Pian Camuno) |
Alpine skiing |
Greatest success: Downhill silver at the 2005 World Championships |
Elena Fanchini dies at the age of 37: Former ski star suffered from cancer
The Italian Ski Association FISI announced the sad news on Wednesday (February 8).
The speed specialist won 2005 World Championship silver in the downhill.
In this discipline she also celebrated her two World Cup victories.
US superstar Mikaela Shiffrin (who herself is still struggling with her father's death) declared on the sidelines of the Alpine World Ski Championships in Courchevel and Meribel, France, that she would "never forget" Fanchini.
She missed the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang because of a tumor.
On her comeback later in the year she was seriously injured, falling in training and suffering a broken fibula, a broken finger and a severe contusion of her left knee.
Fanchini has been plagued with injuries throughout her winter sports career, most notably to her knees, which she says are "made of glass."
Elena Fanchini: career ended after a long story of suffering
In 2020 she retired together with her younger sister Nadia (WM silver 2013 in downhill).
In 2022 there was a new setback for Fanchini: "In August I found out that the tumor was back."
She started treatment that same month.
With success: "The first time I was completely healed." But the setback followed promptly: "Unfortunately, these days I realize that many patients have recurrences.
There are things that you cannot influence, I learned that from this illness, but also from skiing," Fanchini explained in an interview with
Corriere della Sera a few weeks ago.
Check out this post on Instagram
A post shared by Fanchini Elena (@elenafanchini85)
Companions say goodbye to Elena Fanchini: "I don't want to believe it"
She also said at the time: "It's just unfortunate that it happened to me again.
But I can't give up now.
I will fight.” She has now lost this fight.
Countless messages accumulate under Fanchini's last Instagram post.
Companions wrote under the post from November 2022, among other things: “Rest in peace and condolences to the whole family”, “I don’t want to believe it”, “My heart is broken.
Rest in peace Elena, this world has no justice, it really sucks" or "Your family has a star in the sky watching over them.
Rest in peace."
(akl)
