Brignone returns to ski racing after injury, “still difficult” to say if she will be at Olympics

BOLZANO, Italy (AP) — Overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone will make her return to ski racing on Tuesday, nine months after a severe injury but she admits it’s still too early to say whether she will be able to compete in next month’s Winter Olympics.

Brignone broke multiple bones in her left leg in April, following what was the best season in her career.

After two surgeries and months of rehab, she returned to the snow in November. And the Italian confirmed on Monday that she would be at the start gate for the World Cup giant slalom in Kronplatz the following day — 292 days after her injury.

“For me it’s really fantastic to be here and to be competing tomorrow,” a clearly emotional Brignone said. “What better place than in Italy, at home, it’s a slope that I really like, it’s a race that I’ve always liked, obviously it certainly won’t be like other years.

“I’m not here to test myself, but to test my mind, my body, my leg above all. And I’m definitely not here for a great result, but for a great result for myself. It’s something special to already be here … being here is already a great success, so whatever happens will still be fantastic.”

Brignone, who hasn’t “had a day without pain” since the injury, said she had only spent 13 days serious training.

The 35-year-old has won a silver and two bronzes at the Olympics and these would be her fifth Games — if she returns in time.

“Probably I always believed, otherwise I wouldn’t be here,” Brignone said. “But it’s still difficult. I think no athlete can say they will be at the Olympics until they put their poles out the start gate, in our sport especially, anything can happen … I still don’t know.

“When I put my giant slalom skis on, it was a disaster at the beginning. Then I tried again in December and it was only then that I began to see a bit of light.”

At 34 last season, Brignone became the oldest women’s winner in World Cup history — a record recently broken by 41-year-old Lindsey Vonn.

As well as the overall title, Brignone also won the downhill and giant slalom crystal globes last season, and was second in the super-G rankings.

She hopes to compete in all three at the Milan Cortina Games, where she will be one of Italy’s four flag bearers.

Brignone admitted in October that she didn’t think she would “be able to get back to exactly how I was before.”

Women’s Alpine skiing at the Feb. 6-22 Olympics will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics