Federica Brignone, the overall World Cup skiing champion, was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday, five days after suffering multiple fractures in her left leg during a giant slalom crash. She underwent surgery and is now beginning her recovery.
“I’m not sure how long it will take to return,” Brignone said, speaking from a wheelchair outside the La Madonnina clinic in Milan. “We’ll take it step by step. The next phase is post-operation therapy starting Monday. Then we’ll see how the bone responds and proceed from there.”
In addition to the fractures, Brignone tore her ACL, raising concerns about her ability to compete in the Milan-Cortina Olympics in 10 months, where she was expected to be a key athlete for Italy.
“I’m not someone who gives up,” she added. “I believe everything in life happens for a reason.”
Brignone’s accident occurred during the Italian championships at the Lusia ski area in Val di Fassa. She was airlifted to a hospital in Trento and later transferred to Milan, where she had surgery the same day. Reflecting on the incident, she noted, “I only realized after the operation how much I was at risk. The swift medical response was crucial.”
Italian Winter Sports Federation medical chief Andrea Panzeri stated that it’s too soon to determine when Brignone will be able to race again. “It will take at least 45 days before we can establish a timeline,” Panzeri explained.
Brignone had an outstanding season, securing 10 World Cup victories across three disciplines—five in giant slalom, three in super-G, and two in downhill. She also won gold in giant slalom and silver in super-G at the world championships. At 34, she became the oldest woman to win a World Cup race.
“It was the greatest time of my life,” Brignone reflected. “But unfortunately, injuries are part of the profession when you ski at this level.”
