One year after the tragic death of French alpine skier Margot Simond, her parents continue their mission to defend her honor amid ongoing controversy surrounding the circumstances of her accident. The 18-year-old champion died on April 24, 2025, during a training session at Val-d’Isère for the second edition of the Red Bull Alpine Park exhibition organized by French skier Clément Noël.
According to verified sources, Margot Simond was born on April 5, 2007, in Chambéry, France. She began skiing at age five in the Aillons-Margeriaz club and joined the Saisies sports club and Savoie ski committee in 2021. Her achievements included winning the French U18 slalom championship in March 2025 at Les Ménuires, where she defeated Flore Delettre by over a second.
The fatal incident occurred when Simond collided with the entrance of a tunnel module nicknamed “Mausefalle” (mouse trap) during a training run. This obstacle featured three jumps – two safer side jumps and a central, faster jump sending skiers toward a 10-meter tunnel where “there’s barely room to pass two abreast,” as described by Noël in a presentation video. Simond struck the tunnel’s upper edge at chest height.
In interviews conducted approximately one year after the accident, Margot’s parents Sandrine and Alexis Simond expressed enduring grief and frustration. Speaking from their home in Montagnole, Savoie, where Margot is buried, they described their pain as “a suffering beyond words” that they “will carry until our graves.”
The parents revealed they had initially hesitated to speak publicly about Margot’s death to protect their surviving daughters. Sandrine Simond recalled having “a awful feeling” when reviewing the course beforehand, stating: “If we missed the jump, what would happen? We’d hit hard snow like concrete, with no protection. Not a mattress.” She criticized what she perceived as organizational amateurism, believing her daughter had been “the victim of an injustice.”
Eight days after the accident, the parents publicly questioned the safety of the course design and lack of protective measures at the collision site. They noted the absence of safety padding where Margot struck the tunnel entrance. While they did not file legal complaints immediately, authorities opened an investigation into the incident.
By February 2026, nearly ten months after the tragedy, Margot’s parents announced they were seeking legal proceedings to establish accountability for their daughter’s death. Their advocacy has been framed as a fight to preserve Margot’s reputation and sporting legacy amid what they describe as ongoing attempts to undermine her memory.
The Red Bull Alpine Park event where the accident occurred was canceled following Simond’s death. The exhibition, which combined slalom racing with obstacle navigation and jumps, had been held for the second consecutive year at Val-d’Isère under Noël’s organization.
Margot Simond’s funeral in April 2025 drew significant attendance from the French skiing community at Saint-André Church in Montagnole. Her parents continue to reside in the Savoie region, where they maintain a private remembrance for their daughter while engaging in public advocacy concerning ski safety standards.
As of April 2026, the parents’ efforts focus on ensuring Margot is remembered for her athletic accomplishments – including her junior world championships 20th-place finish and national U18 title – rather than solely the circumstances of her passing. They emphasize that their mission stems from love and a desire to counteract what they perceive as disrespect toward their daughter’s memory.
The Simonds’ ongoing campaign highlights broader conversations about safety protocols in extreme sports exhibitions and the responsibility of organizers to mitigate risks in high-speed disciplines. Their advocacy comes as the skiing community continues to process the loss of a promising young athlete whose career was cut short at age 18.
For updates on this developing story and other skiing safety initiatives, readers are encouraged to follow official communications from national skiing federations and certified sports safety organizations.
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