In the wake of Italian ski racer Matteo Franzoso’s death during a downhill training run in La Parva, Chile, in September, the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has announced a sweeping set of safety measures aimed at preventing further tragedies in alpine skiing’s speed disciplines.
Franzoso, 25, died on September 19 after a high-speed fall during downhill training, just one day before his 26th birthday. His death—the fourth training fatality in 12 months and the third on the Italian team—has intensified scrutiny on safety protocols at training venues during the off-season. In the weeks following the accident, athletes, coaches, and advocacy groups around the world have demanded reforms to how training courses are prepared, monitored, and approved.
- Related: Italian Ski Racer Succumbs to Injuries After Training Crash in Chile—1 Day Before his 26th Birthday
Following its October 21 Council meeting, FIS announced a two-pillar safety plan focused on enhancing safety standards and promoting education and cultural change across the sport.
Key measures include:
- A worldwide audit of homologated downhill training courses to ensure compliance with the highest safety standards, to be completed by May 2026.
- Updated safety guidelines and strict protocols for both training and competition.
- Mandatory use of protective equipment, such as airbags, during both races and training sessions.
- The creation of a specialist workstream, led by Chief Race Directors Markus Waldner and Peter Gerdol, to develop new proposals for implementation in the 2026–27 season.
- The launch of an education program and cultural initiatives, including dedicated speed-safety clinics for athletes and coaches, aimed at embedding safety awareness at every level of the sport.
FIS President Johan Eliasch said the changes mark an important step forward:
“Alpine skiing is, by definition, a high-risk sport — that will never change. What must continue to evolve is the safety culture surrounding it, at every level and in both competition and training.”
The Kelly Brush Foundation (KBF), a Vermont-based nonprofit that has long campaigned for improved ski racing safety, commended FIS for acting swiftly and adopting measures that closely mirror recommendations the foundation submitted in a letter to the federation in late September.
“We are pleased to see FIS reacting so promptly and speaking out about the need to improve safety for all ski racers,” said Kelly Brush, who was paralyzed in a 2006 ski racing crash and founded KBF shortly thereafter. “We look forward to working with FIS to implement these measures, building on the success we’ve had in the United States to reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths at races and during training.”
The foundation has spent two decades promoting ski safety education, helping U.S. clubs acquire over 100 miles of safety netting, and fostering a culture where safety is prioritized as much as performance.
Franzoso’s death—following that of Italian racer Matilde Lorenzi in Val Senales in 2024—has prompted widespread debate among racers and coaches. Italian skier Guglielmo Bosca said that while risk is inherent, “there is no excuse for doing less than what is possible to improve safety.” Retired Olympian Lara Magoni added that technological progress in skis and course preparation has far outpaced safety infrastructure.
Several coaches, including Sepp Brunner, have called for FIS to fund upgrades and safety measures at training venues, many of which lack adequate protective barriers or fail to meet basic safety standards. The problem is particularly acute at smaller off-season venues in South America and on smaller European glaciers, where speed training often takes place without the same level of safety oversight as on World Cup courses. “Making a mistake in skiing is normal. Even Shiffrin makes a mistake every time. Safety features are there to save you,” USSA coach Federiga Bindi stressed in an interview with SnowBrains.
The forthcoming FIS audit and education programs are expected to lay the groundwork for a global overhaul of downhill training safety. While raising every training venue to World Cup standards will be costly, the federation has acknowledged the need for financial and logistical support to make such improvements achievable.
For the families and teammates of Matteo Franzoso and Matilde Lorenzi, real progress, not words, will be the only fitting legacy.
It is about time, but for now it is only words. We are several deaths or severe injuries too far over the last ten years and nothing was done. Kevlar liners to avoid cuts to legs, an easy fixture, are not even mandatory yet. Helmets norms were designed long ago when snow making did not produce snow hard as now and are obsolete. Airbags come from motor racing and are not even mandatory. There is no R&D in ski racing safety, and no real commitment for matters to change. Yet no-one should be dying ski racing. Racers are not dying in motorcycle racing and car racing anymore – because the sanctioning bodies did the job. A Sports Federation having had two presidents in a hundred years will never be at the forefront of progress. Let’s not take their word before we see action. It is a miracle that they were not yet sued big in the US – and rightfully so.