Born in Thônes, Haute-Savoie, Cavagnoud's career was plagued by injuries. She finally secured a World Cup race victory in her tenth year of competition, a downhill at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, in January 1999. That was the first World Cup downhill race victory by a Frenchwoman in 17 years. Cavagnoud had eight World Cup victories: four in Super-G, three in downhill, and two in giant slalom. Her last victory was in March 2001 in giant slalom at the national championships in Courchevel, France. She topped the super-G season standings in 2001 and was ranked third overall in 2000 and 2001. At the 2001 World Championships in St. Anton, Austria, she won the Super-G title on 29 January.
Death
On 29 October 2001, Cavagnoud collided with German ski coach Markus Anwander during ski training in Pitztal, Austria, as he crossed the piste.[5] Both sustained serious head injuries and were evacuated by helicopter to Innsbruck's university hospital, where Cavagnoud was found to have serious brain damage and succumbed to her injuries two days later.[2]
Her death was the first fatality involving a World Cup ski racer in over seven years, since the death of Austria's Ulrike Maier in a downhill race in January 1994.[3][6]
