French Skier Margot Simond Dies at 18 After Fatal Training Fall

French skier Margot Simond has tragically died at age 18 following a crash on the slopes.

“The International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) has learned with great sadness of the tragic passing of Margot Simond,” read a statement from Audi FIS Ski World Cup shared via Instagram on Thursday, April 24. “A promising young athlete from the Savoie Ski Committee and the Club des Sports des Saisies, who died on April 24, 2025, in Val d’Isère.”

The statement continued: “Our thoughts are with the French Ski Federation, the Savoie Ski Committee, the Club des Sports des Saisies, and the entire ski community, who are deeply affected by the loss of Margot.”

The skiing organization expressed its condolences to Simond’s “family and loved ones” and offered “its full support in this incredibly difficult time.”

Fans and members of the skiing community took to the comments section to mourn Simond.

“💔🙏🏻 sincere condolences to the family,” U.S. Olympian Lindsey Vonn replied while fellow alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin responded with two broken heart emojis and the prayer hands emoji.

On Thursday, Simond was in Val d’Isère, France to train for the Red Bull Alpine event scheduled for this weekend, per BBC. According to the outlet, Simond sustained a fall while on the slopes. A doctor attempted to resuscitate the athlete but was unsuccessful.

Full details of Simond’s death have yet to be revealed.

The French Ski Federation said in a statement to BBC that the community was “deeply affected and saddened by Margot’s passing.”

“We wish to express our sincere condolences to her family and loved ones and assure them of our full support during these particularly trying times,” the statement read.

The Red Bull Alpine event was created by Olympic champion Clément Noël. It combines traditional slalom with freestyle skiing. This year’s event was scheduled to begin on Thursday and end on Sunday, April 27.

Following Simond’s death the event was canceled by its organizers, according to its official website.

Simond was just at the start of her skiing career. She started hitting the slopes professionally in 2023. As an international competitor, Simond took home multiple first-place finishes in French National Junior Championships and FIS-sanctioned races. She also competed in slalom, giant slalom, Super G and downhill races. Last month, Simond was crowned the U18 slalom champion.

Simond’s passing is not the only tragedy that has hit the ski community in recent years. In June 2024, skier Jean Daniel Pession and girlfriend Elisa Arlian died after falling more than 2,000 feet off northern Italy’s Mount Zerbion.