Immense Federica Brignone, she’s gold in the Super-G! The blue tiger triumphs in Milan-Cortina (10 months after the terrible injury)

Ten months ago, Federica Brignone was confined to bed after a very serious injury in Val di Fassa. Today, the Blue Tiger is on the roof of the world. In fact, you won a fabulous Olympic gold in the Super-G with a time of 1:23.41, entering the legend of Italian skiing with a victory that will remain in the annals. An extraordinary performance built on the most technical section of the track. Where the others calculated and correctly managed the descent, she attacked, imposing her pace and her class. A true sporting masterpiece with every curve, every door tackled with precision and courage.

Three Italians in the first seven

Behind her, silver went to Romane Miradoli at +0.41 and bronze to Cornelia Hütter at +0.52, on a treacherous track capable of betraying many athletes, as unfortunately happened to the other Italian champion Sofia Goggia who left the track in the third sector while she was pushing hard after a second full-stretch with 6 tenths of an advantage over Brignone and therefore out of the race. But our colors can rejoice for two other Italians in the top seven positions: a result that underlines the strength of the Italian team with fifth place for Laura Pirovano and seventh for Elena Curtoni.

From the terrible injury to the triumph in Cortina

Federica Brignone’s is an incredible feat that goes beyond the simple performance on the track. In fact, last April 3rd, the Tiger suffered a terrible injury in Val di Fassa. The diagnosis seemed to leave no escape: fracture of the tibial plateau, rupture of the cruciate and damage to the ligaments. The Olympics at that moment seemed compromised: there were only 10 months left to recover. The fear for her was not only that of not being able to play sports anymore, but of not having a normal life. But Federica didn’t give up and undertook a rapid rehabilitation process, including surgeries, physiotherapy and months of intense training.

After 292 days, Federica returned to the race, starting with the Plan de Corones giant, finishing in sixth place, demonstrating that the time spent away from competitions did not affect her competitiveness. Very few run-in competitions (four since her return counting today) and immediately the Olympics where she was standard bearer at the opening ceremony. The top-10 in the downhill at the debut in Cortina was very auspicious, but all expectations were focused on today’s Super-G. And the Blue Tiger did not disappoint them, becoming, at 35 years and 7 months, the longest-serving skier to win an Olympic gold in alpine skiing under the enthusiastic eyes of the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella.

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