Portugal Colonial - Surgery for French skier Sarrazin 'went well': federation

The 30-year-old lost control of his skis and slammed into the snow before sliding into protective netting on Friday while training for the World Cup downhill race being held this weekend in Bormio, Italy.

Sarrazin was airlifted to hospital and the FFS initially said he was "conscious" before later revealing that he sustained internal bleeding in his head from the impact.

"Cyprien Sarrazin was operated on overnight to reduce pressure from the intercranial haematoma," the federation said in a statement.

"The surgery went well. For now he remains under anaesthesia," it said, saying more information would be released later on Saturday.

Sarrazin enjoyed his best campaign on the World Cup circuit last season, with four victories including a downhill win at Bormio, but is yet to win in 2024/25.

He marked the best time during his first training run on Friday and was leading at the halfway mark during his second on the Stelvio piste -- which will host alpine skiing events at the 2026 Winter Olympics -- before losing control.

Two other skiers had serious accidents during their second training runs on Friday, sparking questions about the preparation of the Stelvio, one of the most difficult on the circuit.

P.L.Madureira--PC