Régine Cavagnoud (27 June 1970 – 31 October 2001) was a World Cup alpine ski racer from France. She was the World Cup and World Champion in Super-G in 2001. Later that year, Cavagnoud was involved in a high-speed collision while training and died two days later. She competed at three Winter Olympics and five world championships.
Career Born in Thônes, Haute-Savoie, Cavagnoud's career was plagued by injuries. She finally secured a World Cup race victory in her tenth year of competition, a downhill at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, in January 1999. That was the first World Cup downhill race victory by a Frenchwoman in 17 years. Cavagnoud had eight World Cup victories: four in Super-G, three in downhill, and two in giant slalom. Her last victory was in March 2001 in giant slalom at the national championships in Courchevel, France. She topped the super-G season standings in 2001 and was ranked third overall in 2000 and 2001. At the 2001 World Championships in St. Anton, Austria, she won the Super-G title on 29 January.
Death On 29 October 2001, Cavagnoud collided with German ski coach Markus Anwander during ski training in Pitztal, Austria, as he crossed the piste. Both sustained serious head injuries and were evacuated by helicopter to Innsbruck's university hospital, where Cavagnoud was found to have serious brain damage and succumbed to her injuries two days later.
Her death was the first fatality involving a World Cup ski racer in over seven years, since the death of Austria's Ulrike Maier in a downhill race in January 1994.
Cavagnoud was buried near her native village at La Clusaz in the French Alps.
World Cup results Season titles SeasonDiscipline2001Super-G
Season standings Season Age Overall Slalom GiantSlalom Super-G Downhill Combined 1991 20 50 — — — 19 20 1992 21 51 — — 39 21 21 1993 22 13 — 39 10 8 8 1994 23 28 — 33 12 27 28 1995 24 26 — 52 9 20 — 1996 25 46 — 36 22 26 — 1997 26 27 — 47 15 15 — 1998 27 28 — 52 21 9 — 1999 28 7 — 16 4 8 — 2000 29 3 — 11 4 5 10 2001 30 3 — 15 1 3 7
Race victories 8 wins – (3 DH, 4 SG, 1 GS) 23 podiums – (8 DH, 12 SG, 3 GS) SeasonDateLocationDiscipline1999 21 Jan 1999 Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy Downhill23 Jan 1999 Super-G2000 19 Nov 1999 Copper Mountain, USA Giant slalom22 Jan 2000 Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy Downhill15 Mar 2000 Bormio, Italy Downhill20016 Dec 2000 Val-d'Isère, France Super G13 Jan 2001 Haus im Ennstal, Austria Super G20 Jan 2001 Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy Super G
World Championship results Year Age Slalom Giant slalom Super-G Downhill Combined 1991 20 — — 12 — 10 1993 22 — — 15 11 — 1996 25 — — 25 26 — 1997 26 — — 21 26 — 1999 28 injured, did not compete 2001 30 — 17 1 12 —
Olympic results Year Age Slalom Giant slalom Super-G Downhill Combined 1992 21 — — 26 17 10 1994 23 — 18 11 26 — 1998 27 — — 16 7 —
References
External links
Régine Cavagnoud World Cup standings at the International Ski Federation
BBC News