Elena Fanchini, an Italian skier whose promising professional career was truncated by a cancer diagnosis, died Wednesday, the Italian Winter Sports Federation said. She was 37. In a short statement, the federation confirmed that Fanchini died at her home in Solato “at the end of a serious illness.” Her death comes nearly five years after her diagnosis in 2018, the same year her health forced her to withdraw from the Pyeongchang Olympics. She’d previously taken part in the 2006, 2010, and 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Fanchini burst onto the scene with a silver medal in downhill at the world championships in 2005, just one month after her World Cup debut, according to NBC Sports. She won her first World Cup in downhill less than a year later, and her second again in 2015. Her last race was in December 2017; after undergoing cancer treatment, she was cleared to return to training, but struggled with injuries before announcing her retirement in 2020. Skier Mikaela Shiffrin, the American two-time Olympic gold medalist, tweeted that Fanchini would “never be forgotten.”
This was a day filled with emotions. There is so much I’d like to share… but what weighs the heaviest is the loss of @elenafanchini. I’m sending my condolences to the whole Fanchini Family, who have had such a strong impact on our sport and world with their passion and kindness. pic.twitter.com/gmsLPVHX4I
