A good nine months after breaking her leg twice, Federica Brignone has made an impressive comeback. If the 35-year-old is spared any setbacks, she will have won the race against time.
20.01.2026, 16:25
20.01.2026, 16:29
SDA
She is not here for a great result, but for a great personal success. It is a test for body and mind, emphasized Federica Brignone in the run-up to the giant slalom at Kronplatz. Afterwards it can be stated: Test passed! If things continue like this, the exceptional athlete from Milan will be more than just a participant at the Olympic Games in her home country.
291 days after the momentous crash at the Italian Championships, in which she suffered a double fracture of the tibia and fibula as well as a torn cruciate ligament, her left knee is still causing her pain, especially when under pressure and in the giant slalom. But that doesn't stop "Fede" from racing again. The competitive test in South Tyrol showed that her bones and cruciate ligament are holding up. He still has a decent basic level.
Bad pictures
Crazy. The pictures that went around the world of Brignone's fall in the giant slalom at the national championships on April 4 last year gave rise to fears of the worst. They showed Brignone getting stuck on a gate in a right-hand turn, her outside ski eating into the soft snow. How her knee was literally torn apart and the broken bones in her lower left leg were immediately apparent. The injuries were serious, but Brignone is now well on the way to making it to the Olympic Games in her home country.
"The pain is always there. There are good days and not so good days," said Brignone ahead of her return. "I was tense and full of emotions. I forgot to breathe until the first intermediate time, from then on it was better," she said after her first run. "I'm really happy to have competed in at least one race before the Olympics. It's wonderful, but I need more training. I need to ski even faster," she said after the second run.
13 snow days for 6th place
According to Brignone herself, she has only completed 13 real training days on snow so far. This makes the 6th place that the overall World Cup and giant slalom discipline winner from 2025 and 2020 achieved in the giant slalom at Kronplatz on Tuesday all the more remarkable. "Una giornata bellissima", a wonderful day, she said.
Brignone's return was also noted outside of skiing. "She has made so many sacrifices, regardless of the result, her return alone is phenomenal. Almost nobody can do that, athletes like her and Sofia Goggia simply have that certain something extra. I wish her all the best for the Olympic Games," said Italian world number two Jannik Sinner on the sidelines of the Australian Open on the other side of the world. "Hats off to her professionalism and determination," praised Luciano Buonfiglio, head of the Italian Olympic Committee.
Brignone's big goal remains the Olympic Games in her Italian homeland, which begin in two and a half weeks' time. The giant slalom world champion and 37-time World Cup winner has not yet decided whether she will also compete in a speed race on the last weekend of January in Crans-Montana. The decisive factor will be how her knee reacts to the strain. Brignone will skip the giant slalom in Spindleruv Mlyn next Saturday.
