• Elena Fanchini lost her battle with cancer at the end of a serious illness.
• She competed in the Winter Olympics in 2006, 2010, and 2014.
• American Mikaela Shiffrin paid tribute to Fanchini on Twitter.

Elena Fanchini lost her battle with cancer at the age of 37, the Italian Winter Sports Federation said on Thursday.

“At the end of a serious illness, Elena Fanchini passed away at her home in Solato,” the federation said.

Fanchini competed in the Winter Olympics in 2006, 2010, and 2014, but after learning she had cancer, she was forced to miss Pyeongchang 2018.

Fanchini won two downhill gold medals in 2005 and 2015 and placed third four times at the World Cup.

Sofia Goggia, an Italian downhill expert, gave Fanchini a tribute in her winning speech at Cortina last month.

American Mikaela Shiffrin, a two-time Olympic gold champion, paid tribute to Fanchini on Twitter after taking home silver at the Alpine World Ski Championships.

“This was a day filled with emotions. There is so much I’d like to share… but what weighs the heaviest is the loss of Elena Fanchini,” she wrote.

“I’m sending my condolences to the whole Fanchini family, who have had such a strong impact on our sport and world with their passion and kindness. My heart is also with the Italian team, who are hurting very deeply now,” she added.

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