Skiing: Brignone starts physiotherapy after breaking leg

Skiing: Brignone starts physiotherapy after breaking leg

Italian Alpine skiing star Federica Brignone is set to start physiotherapy on Friday after having surgery on Thursday on a double leg break she suffered in a nasty crash in Val di Fassa while taking part in the giant slalom in the Italian Assoluti championships, sources said.

It will take the 34-year-old from Val d’Aosta, who recently bagged her second overall World Cup title as well as this season’s downhill and giant slalom crystal globes, many months to recover and the injury is a blow to her hopes of winning her first Olympic gold at next year’s Milano-Cortina Games.

“In the happiest moment of my career, I really didn’t need this,” Brignone said after Thursday’s operation, according to sources.

“I still had a month of work ahead of me (this season) and I was looking forward to it.

“Instead I will have to face a new challenge that I will put all of myself into, as always.

“Today the conditions of the slope were very good, I was fine.

“If I went back, I would do everything the same way, trying not to fall!”.

Brignone is the all-time most successful Italian woman skier in the World Cup and her 37 wins put her behind only the great Alberto Tomba, on 50, for both sexes.

Brigone also has two Olympic silvers and a bronze as well as two world championship golds and three silvers.

Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) President Giovanni Malagò said he was confident Brignone will be fit in time to lead Italy’s charge for medals at next year’s Olympics.

“You will return to make us celebrate more than ever before, like a true ‘tiger’ of the snow,” Malagò said via ANSA.

“With your class, your smile and your awareness, you will write more indelible pages (in the history) of Alpine skiing.

“We are waiting for you soon to realize the Milano-Cortina 2026 dream, which bad luck cannot deny you”.