Superstar French Ski Racer Returns to Snow After Catastrophic Injury

Alexis Pinturault, the famous French ski racer, returned to snow earlier this week on, August 28th, in Cervinia, Italy.

This past January, during the World Cup Super G in Wengen, Switzerland, Pinturault ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after losing control and crashing on the Silberhornsprung jump. He was airlifted from the course and spent the rest of the 2023-2024 World Cup race season recovering.

Pinturault seemed optimistic in Cervinia. "Seven months after my operation, I'm thrilled to finally put my skis back on," he said. "Just being at the top of the slopes again, surrounded by snow-capped mountains, was a reward in itself."

The journey back to the slopes wasn't easy. While recovering, Pinturault said, he experienced "doubt" and "pain."

The 33-year-old Frenchman has led an illustrious alpine racing career. During the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, he claimed bronze in Giant Slalom, followed by two more medals—a bronze and a silver—at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics. He's also earned 34 World Cup victories and six Crystal Globes.

After finding his legs again in Cervinia, Pinturault will visit Ushuaia, Argentina, to undergo pre-season training, followed by more camps in Saas-Fee and Zermatt, Switzerland, this coming fall.

"There's still a long way to go before I'm back in race mode, but making those first turns is a significant milestone," he said. "My knee has responded well so far, but we'll need to monitor how it handles the accumulation of days on skis and the return to regular training."

For Pinturault, the goal is to get as strong as possible so he can compete when the World Cup season begins. He plans to partake in multiple disciplines: Slalom, Super-G, and Downhill.

The World Cup season will start in Sölden, Austria, on October 26th, with male and female Giant Slalom events.

The circuit first comes stateside in late November, where the women's field will compete at Killington, Vermont, in Slalom and Giant Slalom, followed by the Stifel Birds Of Prey in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Months later, the world's best ski racers will return to the U.S. for an exciting season-finisher in Sun Valley, Idaho. The popular resort last hosted a World Cup event in 1977.

Related: Hacked: North Carolina Ski Area Reels from Privacy Breach

Be the first to read breaking ski news with POWDER. Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing.

From ski resort news to profiles of the world’s best skiers, we are committed to keeping you informed. Submit your best clips for a chance to be featured on POWDER. Tune in and watch handpicked, high-quality ski videos streaming all day long on POWDER TV , and subscribe to our YouTube channel .