Régine Cavagnoud

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.^[1][2][3] She competed at three Winter Olympics and five world championships.^[4]

Régine Cavagnoud

Personal information
Born	(1970-06-27)27 June 1970 Thônes, Haute-Savoie, France
Died	31 October 2001(2001-10-31) (aged 31) Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria
Occupation	Alpine skier
Height	1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)
Skiing career
Disciplines	Downhill, super-G, giant slalom, combined
Club	S.C. La Clusaz
World Cup debut	22 December 1990 (age 20)
Olympics
Teams	3 – (1992, 1994, 1998)
Medals	0
World Championships
Teams	5 – (1991–1997, 2001)
Medals	1 (1 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	11 – (1991–2001)
Wins	8 – (3 DH, 4 SG, 1 GS)
Podiums	23 – (8 DH, 12 SG, 3 GS)
Overall titles	0 – (3rd in 2000, 2001)
Discipline titles	1 – (SG, 2001)
Medal record Women's alpine skiing Representing  France World Championships 2001 St. Anton Super-G

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.^[5] 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.^[2]

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.^[3][6]

Cavagnoud was buried near her native village at La Clusaz in the French Alps.

World Cup results

Season titles

Season	Discipline
2001	Super-G

Season standings

Season	Age	Overall	Slalom	Giant Slalom	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)

Season	Date	Location	Discipline
1999	21 Jan 1999	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Downhill
	23 Jan 1999		Super-G
2000	19 Nov 1999	Copper Mountain, USA	Giant slalom
	22 Jan 2000	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Downhill
	15 Mar 2000	Bormio, Italy	Downhill
2001	6 Dec 2000	Val-d'Isère, France	Super G
	13 Jan 2001	Haus im Ennstal, Austria	Super G
	20 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	—