Federica Brignone's Olympics Doubt Ahead of World Cup Comeback

Italian star Brignone confirmed to reporters that she will be skiing in Tuesday's World Cup giant slalom in Kronplatz, her first race since a double leg break in April 2025, with the Olympics getting underway in less than three weeks. The 35-year-old has been a doubt for the Milan-Cortina Games since that training accident, which came just after the end of a triumphant season in which she won the World Cup title and was crowned giant slalom world champion. "I don't think any athlete could say that they'll participate in the Olympic Games until they've got their skiing sticks out, especially in our sport. It would be kind of a sin," Brignone said. "We don't know. Obviously, anything could happen and you can't know whether it will. So right now I still don't know." Brignone, one of Italy's flag bearers at the Olympics, said that Tuesday's race will serve as a test of her ability to compete, admitting that she still feels pain in her left leg. "I haven't had a day without feeling pain since the day I injured myself, even just in my everyday business," said Brignone. "I definitely feel it when I ski, around the tibia, halfway up the tibia and above, the fibula and the knee, everywhere really. Some days I feel more pain than others, and some days I've not been able to ski." Brignone added that she hasn't set herself any objectives for Tuesday's race, which is split into two runs. "I'm coming back to competition after a long time and after a lot has happened," she said. "Having objectives for my performance more than results should help me be more calm, and it's already a big deal for me to have got out my sticks. "When I hurt myself last year I wasn't sure if I'd have ever got them out again for a race, and nor for training, so I suppose I can say that I've won." The women's alpine skiing competition begins on February 8 with the downhill race and finishes 10 days later with the slalom. © 2026 AFP