Leonardo David (27 September 1960 – 26 February 1985) was a World Cup alpine ski racer from northwestern Italy…..who died of heart failure in Gressoney-La-Trinité after nearly six years in a coma…. which was caused by injuries he sustained in a fall near Lake Placid, New York, on 3 March 1973…..when David fell a few yards before the finish of the pre-Olympic downhill at Whiteface Mountain…..as seen in this video herewith. He slid mostly on his back as his skis remained on…..when after coming to a stop, David arose and skied over to his coach….bent down to remove his skis and collapsed. He was airlifted by military helicopter to Burlington, Vermont where surgeons removed a blood clot in his brain.
