Flora Dolci undergoes surgery for fractured vertebra, out of Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics

French cross-country skier Flora Dolci has been ruled out of the 2025–26 season and the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics after a serious paragliding accident last Thursday, which was her 26th birthday. She sustained a lumbar vertebra fracture and underwent surgery on Friday morning at the Grenoble University Hospital.

According to Thibault Barbe, doctor for the French cross-country team, the worst was avoided: there was a risk of neurological damage, but Dolci is doing well and is able to walk. Based on the operation, the medical staff estimate around six months to return to full capacity. Coach Alexandre Pouyé noted that Dolci occasionally paraglides and that this was likely her last flight of the year.

With Dolci sidelined, France’s women’s squad will continue preparations without her, including a training camp in Prémanon (Jura) followed by an on-snow block in Bessans (Savoie) in early November. The Cross-Country World Cup is scheduled to resume in Ruka, Finland, on November 28.