Federica Brignone, who suffered a serious injury after her dream season in the World Cup, has a long road to recovery ahead of her. And that just before the Winter Games in her own country.
15.04.2025, 10:00
SDA
Federica Brignone cannot yet say when she will be back on skis after her devastating fall at the beginning of April. "I don't know, the doctors don't know either, everything depends on the course of my rehabilitation and my recovery," said the athlete at a media conference in Milan.
The location has symbolic significance, as the Olympic Games will be held there next February. Federica Brignone would like to close the last gap in her palmarès at these Games and win her first Olympic gold after silver (giant slalom) and bronze (combined) in Beijing 2022 and bronze (giant slalom) in Pyeongchang 2018. Of course, the Winter Games are on her mind, she admitted. "But at the moment I'm concentrating on something completely different." Brignone began her rehab in Turin on Monday. There, the high-flyer from last winter will have to find her way back to her old strength step by step.
Cruciate ligament not yet repaired
At the age of 34, Federica Brignone had a dream season: at the World Championships in Saalbach, she won gold in the giant slalom and silver in the super-G, as well as celebrating ten victories and six other podium places in the World Cup. This resulted in three globes, including the big globe as overall World Cup winner for the second time since 2020 - with a 322-point lead over second-placed Lara Gut-Behrami.
She could have gone on vacation with maximum self-confidence and prepared for the Olympic season. But Federica Brignone took part in the national championships before the break. In the second run of the giant slalom, Brignone had such an unfortunate fall that she suffered a double fracture of the tibia and fibula in her left leg. She also tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee, which is "not yet repaired": "We'll have to wait until the tibia is fully healed to see what happens next," she said.
"Stay super positive"
These uncertain prospects, with a career peak in sight, are a challenge, especially mentally. Nevertheless, she remains "super positive", says the ski racer. Of course, she would love to celebrate the season and go on vacation, said the woman from the Aosta Valley. "But I'm sure I'll get back to the life I like, full of sport."
Brignone shared a photo on Instagram showing the long, stitched-up surgical wound that runs from her left thigh past the side of her knee to her lower shin. After the first major injury of her career, she now needs patience and perseverance above all else. Brignone expects to be off skis for the next four to five months. "It's another challenge in my life and in my career," she explained. "You have to learn to accept this."
