Elena Fanchini

Elena Fanchini (30 April 1985 – 8 February 2023) was an Italian World Cup alpine ski racer. Born in Val Camonica, she focused on the speed events of downhill and super-G. Her younger sisters Nadia and Sabrina also raced on the Italian team.

Biography Fanchini won two World Cup races in downhill 9 years apart and won a silver medal at the 2005 world championships. She represented Italy at three Winter Olympics and six World Championships.

Illness and death On 12 January 2018, Fanchini announced that she would not compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics at Pyeongchang in order to undergo cancer treatment. That November, she was preparing to return to the World Cup; during training in the United States at Copper Mountain, Colorado, she fell and suffered a fracture of a finger of the hand and a distortion-bruising trauma to the left knee, with fracture of the proximal fibula. The injury forced her to return to Italy and miss the 2019 season.

On 22 April 2020, sisters Elena and Nadia Fanchini announced their retirement from racing.

At age 37, Fanchini died from colon cancer on 8 February 2023 at Pian Camuno.

World Cup results Season standings Season Age Overall Slalom Giant slalom Super-G Downhill Combined 2005 19 75 — — 45 32 — 2006 20 41 — — 47 12 — 2007 21 77 — — 50 30 — 2008 22 45 — — 34 23 39 2009 23 2010 24 53 — — 26 24 — 2011 25 28 — — 25 12 — 2012 26 36 — — 32 13 18 2013 27 62 — — 47 22 37 2014 28 33 — — 42 10 — 2015 29 17 — — 19 5 — 2016 30 51 — — 24 24 — 2017 31 57 — — 50 16 — 2018 32 70 — — 40 27 —

Race podiums 2 wins – (2 DH) 4 podiums – (4 DH); 25 top tens (20 DH, 5 SG)

World Championship results

Year Age Slalom Giant slalom Super-G Downhill Combined 2005 19 — DNF1 — 2 20 2007 21 — — 31 27 DNS2 2009 23 2011 25 — — 18 16 — 2013 27 — — — 9 15 2015 29 — — — 26 16 2017 31 — — — 14 —

Year Age Slalom Giant slalom Super-G Downhill Combined 2006 20 — — DNF 29 — 2010 24 — — 14 DNF — 2014 28 — — — 12 DNS2

National titles Elena Fanchini won 7 national titles.

Italian Alpine Ski Championships Downhill: 2005, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 (7)