The 2018 Olympic champion remained stretched for long minutes on the snow in the finish area, her ungloved hand in that of her father, who introduced her to the discipline in Ariège when she barely knew how to walk.

Touched in her pride and in her flesh, the 23-year-old got up and dried her tears before getting back on the skis.

Something to reassure about her physical condition a month and a half away from the Beijing Olympics, where she will be one of the best chances for French medals.

"Her ribs and morale hurt," French mogul ski team coach Ludovic Didier quickly said before his protégé went to take exams.

They did not reveal anything serious, but there was still uncertainty on Friday night about his participation in the final of the parallel event scheduled for Saturday.

"Perrine is putting everything in place to be at the start tomorrow (Saturday). The final decision will be taken at the last moment with the medical and technical staff. The goal is for her to be at 100% of her capacity on this demanding track", indicated his agent Tanguy Blondel.

"She rarely falls"

This fall is all the more cruel as Laffont, finally ranked sixth, was happy to evolve for once in front of the French public, deprived for four years of a World Cup stage.

Perrine Laffont during a World Cup stage on February 4, 2021 in Park City, United States Gregory Shamus GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP / Archives

"When you see your athlete on the ground who does not get up, whether in France or abroad, it's the same," Didier put into perspective.

"We are here to play sports, not to have fun. That's what concerns me the most today."

"She rarely falls. It had to be today, but that's how it is. We can't blame her for committing and wanting to achieve her goals," he said. insisted.

Falling after the first jump, in the central technical part of her descent, one of her usual strengths, was the Ariégeoise pushed to its limits by the increasingly pressing competition?

In any case, she appears less domineering than usual since the start of the season, notably failing for the first time since 2018 to climb on a World Cup podium (4th) during the inaugural stage in Finland.

The Pyrenean had caught up in Sweden last week, with a second place in the individual event, that disputed at the Olympics, and a victory in parallel.

At Alpe d'Huez on Friday, before her crash, Laffont climbed to the final with the second score behind the Australian Jakara Anthony, who largely won ahead of the Japanese Anri Kawamura, her main rivals in the quest for 'a second Olympic coronation.

The men's individual event was won by Japan's Ikuma Horishima.

The Canadian Mikael Kingsbury, who has dominated the discipline for years, finished third in a final in which the best Frenchman, Benjamin Cavet, was eliminated in qualifying.

He will have a second chance on Saturday with the parallel event.

© 2021 AFP