Former Olympic Skier Chemmy Alcott Hospitalized With Collapsed Lung After Dive Accident

Former Olympic alpine skier Chemmy Alcott is recovering in France after a vacation activity resulted in a collapsed lung and an unexpected hospital stay. The 44-year-old British athlete was hospitalized in Annecy after a front flip from a five-meter diving platform went wrong, an incident she shared with her followers on Instagram on August 13, 2026.

Alcott explained that she attempted the dive while on holiday in the French Alps. The jump did not go as planned, and she landed awkwardly in the water. Despite the hard landing, she initially tried to dismiss the incident. "I actually went back up straight away in embarrassment and did this so I wasn't making a big deal out of it," she wrote, sharing a second dive attempt. However, she soon realized she could not breathe properly and sought medical attention.

Doctors determined that Alcott had suffered a pneumothorax, or collapsed lung. The injury required the insertion of a chest drain and several nights in the hospital. Alcott documented the ordeal with photos from her hospital bed, showing medical wires and the chest tube. She described the experience with her characteristic humor, calling it "a very expensive lesson in rotation."