Swiss Olympic skier Michelle Gisin was airlifted to medical care following a dramatic crash during a downhill training session for the Alpine Skiing FIS World Cup in St Moritz, Switzerland, on December 11, 2025. The 32-year-old athlete, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, suffered a high-speed fall while preparing for upcoming World Cup events and the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

During the incident, Gisin’s ski appeared to catch an edge approaching a fast left-hand turn, causing her to lose control and plow through the first layer of safety nets before being stopped by the secondary barriers. Television footage showed her conscious but with visible cuts and scratches as medics attended to her on the course. She was then airlifted by a Rega helicopter for further assessment.

Third Swiss Champion Crash in a Month

Gisin’s crash marks the third major training accident for the Swiss women’s Alpine ski team in the past month, following incidents involving fellow Olympic champions Lara Gut-Behrami and Corinne Suter. Gut-Behrami suffered a season-ending ACL injury during a practice crash in Copper Mountain, Colorado, while Suter sustained calf, knee, and foot injuries in a St Moritz training session.

As the veteran leader of the Swiss speed team, Gisin has stepped into a prominent role due to injuries among her fellow Olympic champions. At the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Gisin won gold in the Alpine combined event, Gut-Behrami won super-G, and Suter claimed the downhill, giving the Swiss team a total of seven career Olympic medals in women’s Alpine skiing.

Safety Concerns in High-Speed Alpine Skiing

The crash has reignited discussions about safety in high-speed Alpine skiing. Concerns over training risks have been heightened following the death of Italian skier Matteo Franzoso during a training accident in Chile. Prominent athletes, including American skier Mikaela Shiffrin, have spoken publicly about the challenge of controlling variables in high-risk conditions, raising questions about whether certain training environments are “unreasonably dangerous.”

Despite the accident, the World Cup downhill and super-G events in St Moritz are scheduled to proceed, with international attention focused on athlete safety ahead of the Milan Cortina 2026 Olympics, which begin on February 6.

Gisin’s Status and Recovery

As of Thursday, no serious injuries were reported, and Gisin was alert and responsive when treated on the course. Medics continue to monitor her condition to determine whether she will be able to compete in upcoming World Cup events and maintain her preparations for the Olympic Games.

The incident underscores the high-risk nature of competitive Alpine skiing, where athletes race at speeds exceeding 110 km/h (69 mph), navigating complex courses that demand precision, skill, and resilience.