Italian skier Marta Bassino is absent from the World Cup in Kvitfjell, Norway.
The reason is a family tragedy in Heimst.
Kvitfjell - The women's alpine skiing circus makes a stop in Norway.
In the village of Kvitfjell, which is close to Lillehammer, there is a downhill and two super-G races on the program.
World champion Marta Bassino had planned her start, but the Italian suddenly left after downhill training on Thursday (March 2nd) and decided not to race at the weekend.
The reason was a family tragedy in their homeland.
Ski World Cup: Bassino's sister-in-law found dead
According to several media reports, her sister-in-law Sara Fina passed away unexpectedly.
She is said to have been found dead in bed by her husband Matteo Bassino on Thursday morning (March 2).
The day before she had just celebrated her 30th birthday.
The cause of death has not yet been officially confirmed, but a heart attack is suspected.
Marta Bassino's sister-in-law leaves behind her husband and two small children.
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Martha Bassino
© IMAGO/GEPA pictures/ Matic Klansek
Sara Fina lived with her family in the Italian town of Borgo San Dalmazzo, which belongs to the province of Cuneo in Piedmont.
According to information from the online portal Skiweltcup.tv
, she
and her husband ran a sheep farm there.
She is said to have been a talented cross-country skier in her youth, competing in several races.
But the young mother wasn't good enough for an international career.
Ski World Cup: Bassino with great success
Due to the tragic death of her sister-in-law, Marta Bassino will not take part in any races in Kvitfjell.
Whether she will start in the upcoming World Cups is open.
Bassino, who learned to ski at the age of two, made her World Cup debut in March 2014 in the giant slalom in Lenzerheide.
Her greatest successes include the bronze medal with the team at the 2019 World Championships in Are, the world championship title in the parallel race at the 2021 World Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo and winning the Super-G title at the 2023 World Championships in Courchevel/Méribel.
She has a total of six World Cup victories and was also able to win the giant slalom World Cup in the 2021/22 season.
Meanwhile, ski superstar Mikaela Shiffrin has missed Ingemar Stenmark's legendary record of 86 World Cup victories for the time being.
The World Championship runner-up raced to fourth place in the Super-G at Kvitfjell and still has 85 titles.
(smr)
List of rubrics: © IMAGO/GEPA pictures/ Matic Klansek