Italian downhill skier Matteo Franzoso is in stable but serious condition after suffering a severe crash during training yesterday in La Parva, in the Chilean Andes. The 25-year-old athlete from Genoa was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Santiago, where he remains in the intensive care unit.
Franzoso sustained a significant head injury and has been placed in a medically induced coma. He is currently intubated, and his prognosis is reserved as doctors monitor the evolution of a hematoma caused by the blow to his head.
His family is traveling to Chile from Italy. The team doctor with the Italian ski squad in Chile is in contact with Dr. Andrea Panzeri, the head doctor for the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI). As a result of the accident, the other Italian downhill skiers have suspended their training for the day.
The Italian Winter Sports Federation released a statement confirming the serious head trauma and noting that Franzoso, who represents the Fiamme Gialle sports group and developed his skiing career in Sestriere, is under their close watch.
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