Italy’s Olympic hope Brignone says ‘four to five months’ before back on skis

Italian ski star Federica Brignone faces a race against time to be fit for next year’s Winter Olympics after she said Monday there was no chance of returning to action within the next four months as she recovers from a broken leg.

The 34-year-old won the alpine ski World Cup and World Championship giant slalom gold this season but suffered a career-threatening double leg fracture in her last race of a glorious campaign.

Brignone is one of Italy’s biggest winter sports names and a medal hope at her home Milan-Cortina Games which are being held in February next year.

“I don’t know when I’ll be able to ski again and the doctors don’t know either, everything will depend on my rehabilitation, how I heal,” Brignone said at a media event in Milan.

Brignone added that returning to action “before the next four or five months is impossible”.

Further complicating matters is an anterior cruciate ligament tear in her left knee which surgeons noticed during an operation on compound fractures of her tibia and fibula.

Brignone said that the ACL tear is yet to be dealt with “because we need the tibia to be completely healed before we can decide what to do”.

Her appearance in front of the media came on the same day as the torch was unveiled at another event in Milan.

Her injury came just after she dominated the 2024-25 season on the women’s circuit, winning 10 races, her second overall World Cup title and both the giant slalom and downhill crystal globes.

“I can’t say that I’m not thinking about the Games but I’m focussed on something completely different for now,” said Brignone, who has won three Olympic medals but never gold.

“Obviously I’d prefer to be training with the team this week, do some equipment testing next week, celebrate my season and then and go on holiday,” she said. 

“But I’m sure I’ll get back to the life I love. It’s another challenge in my life and in my career, and I have to learn to accept it.”