Alcott's Lake Annecy Injury
Former Olympian Chemmy Alcott Hospitalized With Collapsed Lung After Lake Annecy Jump
Key Points
Alcott is a former GB Olympic downhill skier who retired in 2014 after a run of injuries, including multiple leg fractures; she had previously medalled at the 1999 European Youth Winter Olympics in Super G and Giant Slalom before moving into television work.
The medical incident was a pneumothorax (collapsed lung) that required a chest drain; Alcott spent additional nights in hospital and needed treatment for breathing difficulties.
She posted an Instagram clip of the jump with the caption ‘this didn’t end well’ and later shared hospital photos showing tubes and wires attached to her body.
During the holiday, Alcott was on a family trip to Lake Annecy with her two sons and husband Dougie Crawford, a detail highlighted in reporting about the incident.
Chemmy Alcott, the 44-year-old Ski Sunday presenter and former GB Olympic skier, collapsed a lung after a five-metre platform jump into Lake Annecy in the French Alps went badly wrong during a family holiday, BBC reported. She was rushed to hospital, where doctors inserted a chest drain to treat the pneumothorax — a condition where air leaks into the space around the lung, making breathing extremely painful and difficult.
Alcott later posted an Instagram video of the jump with the caption 'this didn't end well,' along with hospital photos showing tubes and wires attached to her body. She called the ordeal 'a very expensive lesson in rotation,' according to Yahoo Sports.
A Front Flip Gone Wrong at Lake Annecy
Alcott attempted a front flip off a five-metre platform into the lake. The rotation was badly timed, and her landing sent her into the water at the wrong angle. Most people walk away winded from that kind of mistake. Alcott ended up in hospital with a collapsed lung, BBC reported.
In a moment that showed her competitive instincts were still sharp, she briefly climbed back onto the board for a second jump before realising something was seriously wrong. She then sought medical checks, according to The Mirror.
Chest Drain and Extra Nights in a French Hospital
Doctors diagnosed Alcott with a pneumothorax — a collapsed lung. They inserted a chest drain, a tube placed between the ribs to remove trapped air and allow the lung to re-expand. She spent several additional nights in hospital as she struggled to breathe, BBC reported.
Alcott shared photos from her hospital bed on Instagram, showing the tubes and wires attached to her. The images made clear the jump had caused a serious medical event, not just a bruise or a scare, according to Yahoo Sports.
A Career Shaped by Injury on the Slopes
Alcott is no stranger to serious physical setbacks. She competed as a professional downhill skier for Great Britain and won medals at the 1999 European Youth Winter Olympics in Super G and Giant Slalom. A run of injuries, including multiple leg fractures, forced her to retire in 2014, according to The Mirror.
After retiring, she moved into television, becoming a familiar face on BBC's Ski Sunday. The Lake Annecy trip was a family holiday with her husband Dougie Crawford and their two sons, BBC reported. It was meant to be a break — not another entry in a long list of medical ordeals.
Fans Rally as Alcott Makes Light of the Scare
Despite the seriousness of the injury, Alcott kept her tone light on social media. She joked that most people just get winded after a front flip, framing the whole episode as an embarrassing and costly lesson. Fans responded with a wave of support as the story spread online, according to Yahoo Sports.
Her willingness to share the footage and hospital photos — rather than stay quiet about the incident — won praise from followers. The clip quickly circulated across sports and news outlets, with The Mirror among those covering her recovery.
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