Leonardo David
Encyclopedia
Leonardo David was an Italian alpine skier who died of heart failure after 5 years in a coma
caused by injuries he sustained in a crash in practice runs in Peru. When he returned to Italy, he complained extensively about head aches and, unbelievably, was essentially ignored by the Italian Ski Federation. At the Olympics in Lake Placid
on 3 March 1979, he collapsed on the easiest part of the slope. David had won his first World Cup
race a few days before his accident, and fell a few yards before the finish of race 29 of the men's downhill World Cup series
. David finished the season in 11th place in the men's overall competition, with 85 points. A racing piste
is named after his memory on Gressoney Saint Jean. The thing which set him apart from other skiers was an unusual style which featured "hops" between gates. Anyone watching footage of races in which Leonardo participated can easily recognize him by this new, and for him, highly successful style. It's fair to say that had he not had this unfortunate accident, David probably would have gone on to be one of the greatest Slalom skiers of all time. Lastly, it's important to note that Leonardo's father Davide David sued the Italian Ski Federation for negligence and won. He donated all the proceeds of the lawsuit and forced the resignation of many of the uppermost members of the Italian Ski Federation.
Today, Leonardo's parents run a small skishop at Gressoney and any visitor can drop by, see his skis, Italian skiteam posters on the shop roof showing Leonardo David, Piero Gros
and Gustav Thöni
among others, all his trophies on a shelf and lots of pictures. His mother keeps the shop as a little museum in memory of her beloved son. At the front wall of the Gressoney church, a memorial plaque stands to remain the story of Leonardo David, a former racer and loved son of the small alpine village.
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
caused by injuries he sustained in a crash in practice runs in Peru. When he returned to Italy, he complained extensively about head aches and, unbelievably, was essentially ignored by the Italian Ski Federation. At the Olympics in Lake Placid
Lake Placid, New York
Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....
on 3 March 1979, he collapsed on the easiest part of the slope. David had won his first World Cup
Alpine skiing World Cup
The FIS Alpine Ski World Cup is the top international circuit of alpine skiing competitions, launched in 1966 by a group of ski racing friends and experts which included French journalist Serge Lang and the alpine ski team directors from France and the USA...
race a few days before his accident, and fell a few yards before the finish of race 29 of the men's downhill World Cup series
1979 Alpine Skiing World Cup
The 13th World Cup season began in December 1978 in Austria and concluded in March 1979 in Japan.The overall winners were Peter Lüscher of Switzerland and Annemarie Moser-Pröll of Austria.-Calendar:- Men's Overall Results:...
. David finished the season in 11th place in the men's overall competition, with 85 points. A racing piste
Piste
A piste is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. The term is European, from the French for trail or track, synonymous with trail, slope, or groomed run in North America....
is named after his memory on Gressoney Saint Jean. The thing which set him apart from other skiers was an unusual style which featured "hops" between gates. Anyone watching footage of races in which Leonardo participated can easily recognize him by this new, and for him, highly successful style. It's fair to say that had he not had this unfortunate accident, David probably would have gone on to be one of the greatest Slalom skiers of all time. Lastly, it's important to note that Leonardo's father Davide David sued the Italian Ski Federation for negligence and won. He donated all the proceeds of the lawsuit and forced the resignation of many of the uppermost members of the Italian Ski Federation.
Today, Leonardo's parents run a small skishop at Gressoney and any visitor can drop by, see his skis, Italian skiteam posters on the shop roof showing Leonardo David, Piero Gros
Piero Gros
Piero Gros is an Italian former champion alpine ski racer. He won the gold medal in slalom at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, and was World Cup overall champion in 1974.-Biography:...
and Gustav Thöni
Gustav Thöni
Gustav Thöni is a former champion alpine ski racer from northern Italy.-Career:...
among others, all his trophies on a shelf and lots of pictures. His mother keeps the shop as a little museum in memory of her beloved son. At the front wall of the Gressoney church, a memorial plaque stands to remain the story of Leonardo David, a former racer and loved son of the small alpine village.